Mike King

Julie Humphreys
Math 1010
Algebra can help you in your life.

Mathematics is a skill that has not always been taught to the general population. Within
the last century mathematics was only taught to the rich, powerful, and/or politically connected.
Fortunately, today this education is available to all.
I have been in the workforce for many years; I have retired from highly technical field of
heating and air-conditioning which not only required a high technical aptitude and the skill to
designing heating and air-conditioning applications, without any formal education in
mathematics.
Many students of my age experience a high degree of math anxiety because we have
forgotten much of the algebra we learned in school, because of the lack of use. I cant remember
a time; I needed to factor a polynomial or to find the asymptotes in a rational expression. Unless
you use these ideas in your everyday work, I doubt that you would know where to begin.
Don't misunderstand me, I think there are compelling reasons to learn algebra. The first
reason, of course, is utility. We use algebra every day, for example, deciding which cereal is the
best buy, Negative numbers are useful in balancing our checkbooks. Of course, we add, subtract,
multiply, and divide practically every day. We use mathematics in solving lifes problems.
Algebra enhances our pattern recognition skills. Discovering, learning, and using
patterns is an act of logical reasoning. The more we learn, the more we enhance our logical
reasoning and problem solving skills. There is no better subject than math with which to learn
critical thinking skills.
Lets make comparisons to the components of a language. A language has vocabulary
and grammar, a set of rules which creates structure. A language is also made up of patterns.
Remember diagramming sentences in English class? In algebra we have a vocabulary where
each word or symbol has very precise meaning, and very precise rules which create the structure.
Indeed, math is an almost perfect language. Scientists believe that if we were to communicate
with alien life form, from some distant planet, mathematics would be the language we use to
communicate with one another .When we study math, our mental abilities, which are increased
by learning this language, we enhanced are logical in a useful manner.
Having many years of real life experiences and leaning these practical applications of
mathematics in my recent college studies, and knowing how to use and obtain the tools necessary
to adequately perform business judgment calls, makes me valuable asset to any employer.