Guy Reams (00:00.75)
This is day 218, the real purpose of math.
I've taught high school algebra to six people in my life. When I say taught, I mean did their homework, helped them prepare for tests, and held their hand as they sobbed uncontrollably because they were convinced they would never pass the final. I've spent many late nights, unexpectedly of course, assisting with last minute assignments that the teacher just assigned them out of the blue.
I dare say I have become somewhat of an expert on what learning math actually does to the human spirit and what one ultimately gains from it. Inevitably, usually approaching midnight after tackling several increasingly severe problems, the question always arises, what am I ever going to use this for anyway? As I write this, I recognize that the United States is falling hopelessly behind in math and science.
These disciplines are not treated with the same enthusiasm as softer skilled courses. Social sciences and humanities have taken center stage for quite some time now. And we have simply forgotten what it takes to push through and grapple with exceptionally challenging concepts. We have lost the art of constant repetition till patterns emerge. Patterns have become recognizable later when solving more complex problems.
Each of these complex problems is, after all, a culmination of smaller, previously mastered steps. We complain that average wages for younger people are declining and that college costs are skyrocketing. And these are valid concerns. However, we also have a difficulty problem. The reality is that future jobs in our society will be complex and will require high order logic and reasoning skills.
Guy Reams (01:54.476)
I also realized, reflecting on my children's experiences, that many students shrug off math as quote unquote too hard, opting instead to cheat or wind their way through a passing grade. There are certainly those who excel and even embrace math problems on a nightly basis, but they represent a small percentage of the student population. Even at the high-end tech academy my two older children attended,
A large portion of students seem to slip into an early stage coma whenever the word calculus was mentioned. We marvel at how AI simplifies language and writing, but the fields of computer science and engineering have been impacted equally, if not more significantly. If you thought using an LLM to write your English essay was easy, consider how simple it has become to take a photo of your math worksheet and get instant answers.
Basic Python scripts are now easily automated. The days when I struggled through data structures and algorithms in my C programming class seem very distant indeed. This technological shift creates a new environment in which the question, why do I need to understand this at all, has become increasingly common among the rising generation. So what is the real value of learning math?
Why is it important to graph a cube root function, determine the domain and range, or identify transformations resulting from changes in operands? It comes down precisely to learning the right way to think. Breaking down problems into manageable parts and solving what you know first. This form of logical thinking is essential, perhaps the only genuinely critical high order skill that young people must master.
There is also significant value in overcoming mental resistance and actively using your brain to solve difficult problems, though this is probably secondary. The practice of repetition leverages human pattern recognition, refining skills and ultimately enabling those who master this habit to excel significantly over their peers. So tonight, I will be diving head first into another long algebra session, preparing for the looming final exam.
Guy Reams (04:15.278)
My daughter will inevitably glare at me, convinced that this is some form of parental torture, but perhaps someday, amid her future successes, she'll pause to reflect and reluctantly admit that solving for X wasn't just math, it was preparation for solving the greater puzzles of life. For now, though I'm bracing myself for yet another midnight algebra showdown. Wish me luck. I'm gonna need it.