Mathematical Thinking: What is Useful for Adults and Children

People often do not see the point in learning algebra and geometry. Yes, and generally, do not seek to develop mathematical thinking somehow. Even more of these sciences rejects a person’s school load, not adapted to the student’s pace. Wowеssays writing service believes that mathematics is essential for developing logical and analytical thinking. In this article, we will try to understand why we are instilled with a love of mathematics from an early age and whether we need it at all?

What is the power of math thinking?

• It helps us not to give up when faced with complex problems. Anyone who has done a lot of math problems knows that no matter how hard the problem looks, it must have a solution. This experience can be valuable in ordinary life, especially when one works in a field where such skills are needed. Data analysts, web developers, engineers, managers — these and other specialists face non-trivial tasks very often.
• Developed mathematical thinking is valuable for inventors. Think of Thomas Edison, who tried thousands of variations before inventing a working version of the light bulb. In today’s reality, mathematical thinking can help an entrepreneur. A person with this skill will not give up after a series of failures but will continue to look for the best solution for his business based on previous experience.
• Mathematical thinking helps you decompose a large problem into its parts. And solve the problem as if “in pieces. It is the best approach for dealing with large problems.
• Mathematicians are trained to look at the root of the problem, see relationships, and understand the essence of this or that phenomenon. Correct mathematical thinking cannot be developed by simply memorizing formulas and theorems. Experienced mathematicians can derive almost any formula and don’t have to memorize a whole textbook. Having got used to digging deep and searching for cause-and-effect relations, a person transfers this valuable experience to his own life. And applies this knowledge in the professional sphere.
• It gives a person with developed mathematical thinking an advantage in the labor market. As a rule, the more complex tasks a person can perform, the larger data sets he can process, and the more valuable his abilities are to the company. And the more they are prepared to pay him. The main thing is to apply these abilities in a professional area: find your business, develop it, and prepare a resume competently. And already at the stage of solving test problems at the interview, such a person will demonstrate his advantage.
• Mathematical thinking is a great prospect in the world of the future. Solving non-trivial problems, studying complex systems, creating innovative IT products, and data analytics — all these skills will be increasingly in demand in a world where artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and many other interesting areas are developing.
• Mathematics develops logic and critical thinking. Accordingly, people with strong abilities in mathematics do not take their word for it, do not allow themselves to be fooled, and calculate scenarios several steps ahead. It can be very helpful in life. For example, a person will carefully study the terms of a loan before taking anything in installments, even if the pitfalls are carefully hidden. Also, a person manages his finances more wisely and is more likely to plan for spending ahead of time, not throwing money around. He will not trust the first person he meets if he does not know all the details of cooperation. Such a person always looks at the root and sees a catch. If you want to train your brain, study our selection of sites on this topic.
• Developing in mathematics, children excel in other school disciplines as well. After all, complex problems are not just in algebra and geometry. But math teaches you to break down a large problem into several smaller ones. It comes in handy in chemistry and physics classes, even in learning a verse for a literature class.
• People with advanced mathematical thinking often have more time and do not put off difficult things for later. They clearly understand that the task is solvable, even if it is not easy and will take a lot of time. Mathematicians begin and move smoothly to the final, while others ignore difficult tasks. Therefore, the former is less likely to get depressed under the weight of unfulfilled tasks. But this is subjective. And objectively, mathematicians are often more productive and not afraid of hard work.

Everyone has a talent.

Parents often jump to conclusions about their child after the first marks at school or comments from teachers. Immediately the child is defined as a “technician” or “humanities. In fact, everyone can develop mathematical thinking. They manifest themselves differently in children, but it is too early to draw far-reaching conclusions about a child’s “profile” in junior high school.

Parents should understand that a child is strongly influenced by the complexity of the school program, the teacher’s approach, his mood, his environment, and other factors. Your son could probably be excellent in geometry, but he just enjoys the company of his school friends, so he is simply not interested in getting into problems.

Another and unfortunately still relevant variant is not optimally designed curriculum at school. Tasks can sound more interesting if they relate to real things, not fictional ones. In addition, skipping a one-course topic makes it impossible to assimilate subsequent information. And the individual performance of each individual student is rarely of concern to school teachers.

Developing a child’s mathematical thinking will help a tutor — he can explain complex things in a different language so that the child will become interested. You can take on the function of a tutor, too. When the teacher is genuinely interested in the child’s success, then real results appear.

Five types of mathematical thinking

1. Metric thinking is responsible for numbers, values, and parameters. People with developed metric thinking are cautious and try to always think ahead.
2. Topological thinking is associated with dividing the whole into parts. People with strong topological thinking are good at seeing the big picture and dividing it into phases. They also tend to be conservative and calm.
3. People with projective thinking are good at evaluating situations. They see different approaches and try to approach a solution from different angles.
4. Orderly thinking develops pedantry in people. Such people always have a plan of action and strictly follow it.
5. Finally, people with algebraic thinking are capable of multitasking. This type of thinking helps to structure information and build combinations.

Development of mathematical thinking

• As with any science, mathematics should be introduced gradually. A complex logarithmic equation will alienate anyone who doesn’t know the basics. But if a person has learned mathematics step by step and hasn’t skipped basic classes, they won’t see anything difficult in such a problem. It is true for both adults and children.
• Learning should be interesting. Real, not fictional practical problems are much better than dry examples from the textbook. Presentation of the material is also important. The same topic can be presented vividly, vigorously, or you can deliver it in a monotonous voice during a boring seminar.
• Important but not obvious: one must see one’s ability to learn mathematics. The realization that you have begun to do well will give the impetus to dive further into the subject. But real inspiration will only give a gradual increase in the workload. Easy tasks are good for the beginning stages. But no one likes to stomp around forever. Increase the complexity.
• The main thing in math is comprehension, not memorization. Of course, a good memory is not excessive. But a person must understand the essence of the subject he is studying. Then he can develop more quickly and solve problems with less effort. After all, for example, the logarithmic equation can be solved without understanding the basics. But such a solution will be complicated and cumbersome. If you limit your mathematics study to formulas and theorems, you will quickly become bored with it. Try to understand the gist of each theorem, not just memorize it. The multitude of theorems studied and correctly understood will add up to a coherent picture, which will give further impetus to further study.
• To progress in mathematics, it is worth practicing regularly. Ideally, 30–60 minutes every day. Here, as in sports, it is important not to lose form. In addition, daily but short sessions will be easier to absorb than more infrequent, multi-hour sessions.