Poll: Lack of basic mathmatical skills

[barbzilla]

Lately I have been noticing a disturbing trend on Facebook. People post simple math problems, and others will post the answer. The issue being that usually 60% or more of the people commenting get these problems wrong.

The order of Operations dictates what order you should follow when calculating a string of basic function math (I.E. 1+5*5-7/1*9). Many people on Facebook are doing the problem from left to right, and this is just not the correct way to do math. When you get a multiple function math problem you follow the Order of Operations to ensure you end up at an accurate number.

The Order of Operations is P.E.M.D.A.S.
Parenthesis
Exponents
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

An easy way to remember the order is with the phrase Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally (I thought everyone was taught this in elementary school). By doing your math in this order you will ensure an accurate result, and we can all rest a bit easier knowing that our country will at least be able to balance their checkbooks.

To encourage discussion what is your highest level of Mathematical knowledge, and how do you use it in your job/hobby/every day life?

 

[A Raging Emo]

I haven't seen any trend like that. The trend with people on my List seems to be doing a really simple convoluted Maths problem.

(i.e. 1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1x2 = ?)

 

[Chemical Alia]

The highest level of math I studied was algebra 2 in high school (I somehow managed to avoid math almost completely in college). It's been a long time, but I don't think I got a grade on a math test higher than a 75% since seventh grade. Looking back, I had some really awful math teachers that pushed me so far away from an interest in math that I didn't even want to think about it outside of class, and it all went downhill from there. I know the order of operations, but that doesn't stop me from still solving problems wrong half the time.

In my job, light math is sometimes required (I'm a 3d artist), and I rarely find myself needing to do anything beyond addition outside of work. But even though it's kind of pointless to my day-to-day life, I see my poor math skills as something I'd like to eventually overcome someday, for my own personal growth.

 

[DoPo]

I haven't seen any trend like that. The trend with people on my List seems to be doing a really simple convoluted Maths problem.

(i.e. 1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1x2 = ?)

Yup, that's exactly it. And it is easy. Although, it's usually even simpler - only addition, for example. A favourite one to troll people with is something along the lines of 2+2+2*0=? (or add in some more 2s if you wish). Cue people answering 0...or even 6.

The Order of Operations is P.E.M.D.A.S.
Parenthesis
Exponents
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

An easy way to remember the order is with the phrase Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally (I thought everyone was taught this in elementary school).

This may come off snobish, but I assure you, it I don't mean it so - we weren't taught any acronyms or mnemonics to remember the thing. Nobody assumed we'd need them. And I'm doing fine. I should note that I haven't been on Facebook, so I can't see if my former school mates make any idiotic mistakes. My guess is that they don't. Simply because they won't try to to solve the problems in the first place.

 

[Keoul]

I'm always confused by the order of operations because I was taught BODMAS first.
Brackets
Powers (forgot what the word was but it's exponents)
Division
Multiplication
Addition
Subtraction

So as you can see Division and Multiplication is switched from PEMDAS, makes it kinda confusing sometimes.
The only use for it in my daily life is Teamfortress 2 Warioware mod

 

[BlazeRaider]

I was taught BEDMAS, Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction.

I have no idea what heresy you guys are all talking about.

 

[Kae]

Well I'm studying Math and would like to be a Mathematician or a Physicist, because I find Math fun, I don't know why but it entertains me a lot and even when it's frustrating I feel really good when I solve a problem, but sadly I'm not very good at it, but I think that if I keep practising I'll eventually get good at it, I got discouraged from trying before when I took the stupid IQ test and it said that my IQ was below average, but I have decided that IQ is irrelevant and I can do anything I want.

Damn the captcha says "Pipe Dream", I'm pretty sure it's mocking me.
[sub]Obviously my answer it's pretty important.[/sub]

 

[DoPo]

Well, division is multiplication by the reciprocal. I'm not entirely sure when the order of the two would matter that much. I'm pretty sure you can switch subtraction/addition around and it would still give you the same result.

 

[Euryalus]

The highest level of math I've had is calculus so I'm confident in my basic math skills (cue horrendously stupid math mistake in 5...)

I think the problem is the way they teach math. No one trys to explain what's being done on any deeper level and if you don't just naturally see it then you're fucked. I remember my friend being confused as hell when we were going over soh cah toa in algebra. I spent like ten minutes explaining the basis of it (trig) being the unit circle and it immediatly clicked for him. Took me ten minutes what the shit teacher couldn't do in an hour, simply 'cause they didn't bother to explain the "philosophy" of what was being done.

I'm not even all that great at math. I'm pretty sure Calc is the limit (ha!) of my math skills.

 

[Euryalus]

Well I'm studying Math and would like to be a Mathematician or a Physicist, because I find Math fun, I don't know why but it entertains me a lot and even when it's frustrating I feel really good when I solve a problem, but sadly I'm not very good at it, but I think that if I keep practising I'll eventually get good at it, I got discouraged from trying before when I took the stupid IQ test and it said that my IQ was below average, but I have decided that IQ is irrelevant and I can do anything I want.

Damn the captcha says "Pipe Dream", I'm pretty sure it's mocking me.
[sub]Obviously my answer it's pretty important.[/sub]

Don't give up! Even Einstein was pretty shit at the maths

 

[Shadowstar38]

I have your basic University level math skill. The order of operations and a few other formulas are obvious to me but I have no practical application for them in my field.

 

[barbzilla]

I haven't seen any trend like that. The trend with people on my List seems to be doing a really simple convoluted Maths problem.

(i.e. 1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1+1x2 = ?)

Yup, that's exactly it. And it is easy. Although, it's usually even simpler - only addition, for example. A favourite one to troll people with is something along the lines of 2+2+2*0=? (or add in some more 2s if you wish). Cue people answering 0...or even 6.

The Order of Operations is P.E.M.D.A.S.
Parenthesis
Exponents
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

An easy way to remember the order is with the phrase Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally (I thought everyone was taught this in elementary school).

This may come off snobish, but I assure you, it I don't mean it so - we weren't taught any acronyms or mnemonics to remember the thing. Nobody assumed we'd need them. And I'm doing fine. I should note that I haven't been on Facebook, so I can't see if my former school mates make any idiotic mistakes. My guess is that they don't. Simply because they won't try to to solve the problems in the first place.

You don't come off as snobish here. It would be perfectly fine if people who are unable to complete basic math problems left it alone, but the issue is people think they are right. This means that our society is unable to process basic mathematical functions such as budgeting.

I am sure it probably has something to do with the school systems, given the level of aptitude I have seen lately.

 

[omega 616]

Parenthesis
Exponents

How dare you use such vulgar language! (I have no idea what these words mean).

On topic. I never even got taught the times tables! Seriously, it's not an excuse and the real reason is I never studied ... I was never taught any times table. Let alone prime numbers and square (roots) numbers.

I have picked up bits and pieces but I haven't bothered to teach myself yet, the way I see it is I have a phone which has a calculator built into it.

Take the path of least resistance!

Anyway, all I need is addition for counting up how much stuff will be in the shop. I don't need to work out tips or VAT

 

[Thaluikhain]

Eh, a lot of them trick people up by putting lots of plus signs with one minus sign thrown in, not paying enough attention to that isn't so bad.

But yeah, it's odd that people don't know the order of operations.

 

[Kae]

Don't give up! Even Einstein was pretty shit at the maths

T^T Thanks, I really appreciate it, I won't give up, but I doubt it'll be easy, then again if it were it probably wouldn't be worth doing.
I may be a little stupid, but I think I can do it, but I guess that if I didn't think that I wouldn't try.
But anyway thanks.

 

[mad825]

You don't come off as snobish here. It would be perfectly fine if people who are unable to complete basic math problems left it alone, but the issue is people think they are right. This means that our society is unable to process basic mathematical functions such as budgeting.

I am sure it probably has something to do with the school systems, given the level of aptitude I have seen lately.

If they can't budget then they're screwed for life, right? It means nothing and you're over looking the problem.

Honestly, BIDMAS (P.E.M.D.A.S or whatever) is overrated and isn't used in day-to-day life for everyone therefore not many people care too much. It's the sort of thing you're taught in maths then forget about before the term is over when the exams are done.

 

[barbzilla]

You don't come off as snobish here. It would be perfectly fine if people who are unable to complete basic math problems left it alone, but the issue is people think they are right. This means that our society is unable to process basic mathematical functions such as budgeting.

I am sure it probably has something to do with the school systems, given the level of aptitude I have seen lately.

If they can't budget then they're screwed for life, right? It means nothing and you're over looking the problem.

Honestly, BIDMAS (P.E.M.D.A.S or whatever) is overrated and isn't used in day-to-day life for everyone therefore not many people care too much. It's the sort of thing you're taught in maths then forget about before the term is over when the exams are done.

I am sure you are right about me over thinking the issue. It just seems a bit off. It was drilled into my head through out school (though I didn't go through public school for most of it), and I am amazed at how few recognize the issue.

I realize that the Order of Operations may not be a major day to day issue, but it is required for you to figure out things like interest and probability. So, unless people wish to go about trusting that all is well with the people that handle their money, they should really look into improving their math skills.

Don't get me wrong I am not a math whiz by any means, I just find it deplorable that people would neglect basic arithmetic to this level.

 

[GoAwayVifs]

Don't give up! Even Einstein was pretty shit at the maths

Expect that's a myth, Einstein was very good at math. To quote him when he was shown an article making those claims: ?I never failed in mathematics, before I was fifteen I had mastered differential and integral calculus.?

 

[The Abhorrent]

To start off with it the obvious... being an engineer, I pretty much go through the basic number-crunching (anything lower than integral calculus) as if it were nothing. Above that does require some effort, but it doesn't seem to be a major factor with most of my work (so I'm somewhat out of practice when it comes to that). It would be more accurate to say that I deal with a high volume of otherwise trivial calculations rather than deal with more advanced areas of mathematics; Excel can be one of the most useful tools you'll ever have, at least once you learn how to use it.

Of course, engineering isn't just being good at math. To be perfectly honest, it's just a tool that you know how to use very well; the most important aspect of engineering is usually just problem-solving, math is mostly used to back up your solutions more than anything else. Heck, my current position would be better described as management than technical expertise; though sometimes the latter does become useful from time-to-time.

Still, math is (from my perspective) an incredibly useful tool all should at least be familiar with. The basics most people are taught before post-secondary (again, anything lower than integral calculus) is most certainly relevant in your day-to-day lives... or rather, used every day by those building and/or maintaining the infrastructure society depends on. Ignorance is bliss, perhaps?

 

[Veloxe]

So as you can see Division and Multiplication is switched from PEMDAS, makes it kinda confusing sometimes.

Personally I was always taught that you just go left > right if you end up with something like 2/4*3. As opposed to trying to create an ordered acronym for it. Not sure how "right" that is in terms of really important math but if figure if they really wanted me to multiply 4*2 before dividing my 2 they would just use brackets (parenthesis).

Anyways, personally I would love to see more people have a better grasp of math since then I wouldn't have to worry about correcting people when they do, say, 235+87 wrong in their head.