Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:18:53 GMT -5
Post by Phoenix84 on Aug 21, 2013 12:18:53 GMT -5
Perhaps this is a dumb question/topic, since one would assume being a money message board, everyone would have at least a passing knowledge/use for math, but I'll go ahead and post the topic.
Do you use math in your job? What about your life in general? Growing up, the general idea, even promoted by some educators, was that you won't really be using math in "real life." Has that been the case for you? If you do use math in your job/life, how do you use it and what kind of math do you use?
Furthermore, to sate my curiosity, what level of math did you "stop" at as far as formal education? And do you think you're good at math?
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 0:17:24 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:21:43 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 12:21:43 GMT -5
I am an accountant so most people (who aren't accountants) think my job is all about math. That is not the case, though. I do add and subtract and multiply and have to understand fractions and ratios, but other than that I do not do any math. even the math I do is done by a computer or a calculator. I do not trust myself to do any math in my head. I double check everything with a calculator or computer program.
I went up through calculus 1 or something like that. I think I have a good understanding of basic algebra.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 0:17:24 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:23:07 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 12:23:07 GMT -5
I am not good at math, and I stopped taking it once I got my pre-reqs out of the way (so, Algebra). I used adding, subtracting, multiplication and division on a daily basis when I was posting payments. I use the same in my everyday life whenever I want to purchase something. I am not looking forward to the day when the kids start Calculus. I guess they will be teaching me!
|
|
Malarky
Junior Associate
Truth and snark are equal opportunity here.
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 21:00:51 GMT -5
Posts: 5,313
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:23:43 GMT -5
Post by Malarky on Aug 21, 2013 12:23:43 GMT -5
I distinctly remember carrying on about how stupid algebra was and how I was never going to use it, it was just a waste of my time! I use it every freaking day at work. But it took me years to figure out that I did.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 48,070
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:24:41 GMT -5
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 21, 2013 12:24:41 GMT -5
I stopped at Pre-Calc. Only needed College Alegbra/trig for my major but due to a transfer issue I had to jump into Calculus. I didn't do too bad all things considering. I calculate the slope of a line every day, or rather my software does. I suck at math. It's always been a struggle for me which DH finds weird considering my profession. I can do it, it just takes me a lot longer than other people. Thank god that nowadays computers do most of the heavy number crunching. I can do it manually but why? It's good to know incase of a global apocalypse but the majority of job postings want me to be up to date with the current statistical softwares out there. Plus know Excel.
|
|
Colleenz
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 8:56:39 GMT -5
Posts: 3,983
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:26:38 GMT -5
Post by Colleenz on Aug 21, 2013 12:26:38 GMT -5
All day long every day. Mostly in my head multiplication / division for unit conversions, costing, and pricing. The higher math functions are programmed into macros so I just plug and chug the numbers for things like DOE's. I have a STEM degree, so had to learn a lot of math. I don't use it all per se, but do need to be able to understand it.
|
|
Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:28:51 GMT -5
Post by Phoenix84 on Aug 21, 2013 12:28:51 GMT -5
I use math in my job. Not all the time or even every day, but probably more frequently than most. I do a lot of unit conversions, converting micrograms to miligrams ect. Sometimes I have to solve equations for things like activity or shielding. And by extension, sometimes I use algebra to rework the equation to solve for what I want to solve.
Nothing I consider that difficult, but I'm always amazed at how bad many people are at math. I've known people who are so called college educated that couldn't solve a simple density equation. When I was in college, and did some work with incomming freshmen who weren't physics majors, all many of them could do was add, subtract, and turn on a calculator. These were supposedly college track students who had at best a second grade understanding at math.
I don't consider myself that good with math. I know a lot of people who are a lot better than me, but compared to some, I'm a math whiz.
I took math up through calculus 3. I started having problems understanding math more advanced than basic calculus, solving derivitives and intregals. I also took stuff like linear algebra.
I'll ocasionally use math in financial calculations, and gaming of all things. I've always preferred playing video games that are RPG's, which usually have a behind the scenes math component to them. So I've been known break out a piece of paper and start doing math for a hobby.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 48,070
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:31:17 GMT -5
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 21, 2013 12:31:17 GMT -5
I've known people who are so called college educated that couldn't solve a simple density equation.
I can do it but I'll have to look up the formular first.
|
|
Malarky
Junior Associate
Truth and snark are equal opportunity here.
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 21:00:51 GMT -5
Posts: 5,313
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:35:40 GMT -5
Post by Malarky on Aug 21, 2013 12:35:40 GMT -5
I've known people who are so called college educated that couldn't solve a simple density equation.
I can do it but I'll have to look up the formular first. I'm not even sure what that is... I was an English major turned baker.
|
|
imawino
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 22:58:16 GMT -5
Posts: 5,370
|
Post by imawino on Aug 21, 2013 12:36:43 GMT -5
I have a degree in Finance and I think the times I use math in my daily life are restricted to the following scenarios: When I'm having a crap day and I think "How fucking long until I can retire??" and I whip out my restirement spreadsheet (yes, I have one! ) and start tweaking. When I'm at the grocery and I think "How fucking much is this trip gonna cost me?!" and I start doing addition on all the items in my cart and on the list. I am always way off. When I'm late and I think "How fucking fast amd I going to have to drive to get to Whereversville on time?!" and I divide distance by mph. Yep, I think that about sums it up But I like math.
|
|
alabamagal
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 23, 2010 11:30:29 GMT -5
Posts: 8,146
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:36:56 GMT -5
Post by alabamagal on Aug 21, 2013 12:36:56 GMT -5
I took two years of Engineering Calculus in college. I had all A's.
I work in the Engineering field. I have never used Calculus in my job. I do a lot of unit conversions, calculate operating costs, calculate how much energy is needed, convert lbs to kgs, gallons to liters, gallons to kgs, etc. We track all our materials in and out of the process in Excel sheets. I LOVE EXCEL sheets! I recently had to use a formula with a logarithmic function and had to refresh myself on what the "log" and "ln" functions on my calculator were.
When my kids took High School Calculus, I looked at some of the things they were doing and I had totally forgotten everything.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 48,070
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:37:14 GMT -5
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 21, 2013 12:37:14 GMT -5
I haven't done it since college. Lots of equations I haven't done since then but know where to look up the information. Don't know if that makes me math dumb or math smart.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 0:17:25 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:41:50 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 12:41:50 GMT -5
accountant here also
i use math daily...but mostly basic functions
i did go through statistics and trig, and hated those higher math classes
the proverbial light bulb of understanding only flickered for me
my two worst grades in college.....
but my first job out of the service was as an actuarial...go figure.....
|
|
Phoenix84
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 17, 2011 21:42:35 GMT -5
Posts: 10,056
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:47:40 GMT -5
Post by Phoenix84 on Aug 21, 2013 12:47:40 GMT -5
I've known people who are so called college educated that couldn't solve a simple density equation.
I can do it but I'll have to look up the formular first. I'm not even sure what that is... I was an English major turned baker. D = M/V, where D is density, M is mass, and V is volume. I always remembered it by thinking of the DMV, the department of motor vehicles. I only brought that up because we had a student employee who we tasked with determining if something was lead or not. It should have been an easy task. Weigh it, measure it to determine the volume, divide mass by volume, go on the internet and find the density of lead. If they're the same (or very close) it's lead, if it's not, it's not lead. Simple.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 0:17:24 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 12:52:01 GMT -5
I'm not even sure what that is... I was an English major turned baker. D = M/V, where D is density, M is mass, and V is volume. I always remembered it by thinking of the DMV, the department of motor vehicles. I only brought that up because we had a student employee who we tasked with determining if something was lead or not. It should have been an easy task. Weigh it, measure it to determine the volume, divide mass by volume, go on the internet and find the density of lead. If they're the same (or very close) it's lead, if it's not, it's not lead. Simple. Shouldn't it be marked "lead" if it is lead? Sloppy asset tracking if you ask me.
|
|
kittensaver
Junior Associate
We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa
Joined: Nov 22, 2011 16:16:36 GMT -5
Posts: 7,983
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:52:13 GMT -5
Post by kittensaver on Aug 21, 2013 12:52:13 GMT -5
Contracts administrator here, so I live in math all day. Mostly just the add-subtract-multiply-divide stuff, though. Excel is my best non-human friend. (In HS, I too stopped after algebra and geometry. Definitely NOT a STEM person here!)
|
|
movingforward
Junior Associate
Joined: Sept 15, 2011 12:48:31 GMT -5
Posts: 8,385
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:53:19 GMT -5
Post by movingforward on Aug 21, 2013 12:53:19 GMT -5
I use math at work in regards to the budget, I guess... it is not very difficult math that's for sure and I can actually plug everything into excel so... maybe I don't use math . I actually look at balancing the budget more as logical thinking though I guess there is a math component to it. I took a graduate level statistics class for my masters. I hated it but powered through. I took it in the summer so it would be over in 6 weeks. Classes I didn't care for typically were taken in the summer because it was much easier for me to spend several hrs a week in class for a short period of time than to drag it out over an entire semester.
|
|
tcu2003
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 31, 2010 15:24:01 GMT -5
Posts: 4,955
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:53:36 GMT -5
Post by tcu2003 on Aug 21, 2013 12:53:36 GMT -5
I'm an engineer, so I use math at my job - though not as much math as engineering profs would have us believe. Mostly, I use unit conversions, area calculations, and algebra stuff (including some algebra II stuff). I haven't used any calculus in several years - and even then it was brief and pretty basic.
I did get a math minor in college, so I've had a lot of math (though it was only 1 more class than was required for my engineering degree) - Calc I/II/III, Linear Algebra, Prob & Stats, and Differential Equations were the big ones I can think of that I took in college (or came in with college credit for).
|
|
happyhoix
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Oct 7, 2011 7:22:42 GMT -5
Posts: 21,556
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:53:53 GMT -5
Post by happyhoix on Aug 21, 2013 12:53:53 GMT -5
I took calculus in college. For my job, I use math all the time. I do a lot of unit conversions, some waste water pollutant load calculations, lots of basic addition, lots of spreadsheets tracking and data manipulation, some engineering calculations (calculating volume capacity of vessels and flow through calculations). I do math at home - figuring out how many bags of mulch I need to fill in a certain size area to a certain depth, or calculating how much fertilizer our yard needs - and DH thinks I'm a wizard. I'm not good at math because I have a slight dyslexia where I tend to transpose digits, so I always do each calculation three times to make sure I get the same answer all three times - so it takes me longer than most people to finish. I did really enjoy geometry, which was very logical and not so directly connected with numbers (numbers aren't my friends) so that was fun, but it was the only math class I enjoyed. The others I did because I had to, for the degree I wanted. I will say the one thing in high school I was forced to learn but was completely useless was a slide rule, and the one thing I learned that my guidance counselor said was not going to be very useful to me but was insanely useful - touch typing. (When I was in H.S., back in the dark ages, only girls wanting to be secretaries bothered to learn to type).
|
|
The Captain
Junior Associate
Hugs are good...
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 16:21:23 GMT -5
Posts: 8,717
Location: State of confusion
Favorite Drink: Whinnnne
|
Post by The Captain on Aug 21, 2013 12:54:51 GMT -5
Nothing I consider that difficult, but I'm always amazed at how bad many people are at math. I've known people who are so called college educated that couldn't solve a simple density equation.
I'm "so called" college educated WITH a MST and don't even know what the hell a simple density equation is... Now I OTOH meet people every day who have no clue as to the difference between apportionment and allocation...how in the hell do they function?!? Get my point?
|
|
steph08
Junior Associate
Joined: Jan 3, 2011 13:06:01 GMT -5
Posts: 5,504
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:57:01 GMT -5
Post by steph08 on Aug 21, 2013 12:57:01 GMT -5
I've known people who are so called college educated that couldn't solve a simple density equation.
I can do it but I'll have to look up the formular first. I'm not even sure what that is... I was an English major turned baker. I'm an English major who loves to bake - I'd love to do a shop, but I don't know enough recipes and I doubt it would be profitable. In regards to the OP, I don't really use math at work. I'm a writer. I took Calculus in college so I could satisfy both my Math and Natural Science credits with one class. I also took Intro to Prob and Stats. I like to find derivatives and know the odds of me hitting the lottery. Most of the math I do is calculating pace times during my runs. If I run 10:15/miles for an entire marathon, what will my finishing time be, etc. Keeps my brain occuppied.
|
|
movingforward
Junior Associate
Joined: Sept 15, 2011 12:48:31 GMT -5
Posts: 8,385
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 12:59:11 GMT -5
Post by movingforward on Aug 21, 2013 12:59:11 GMT -5
I haven't solved a density equation in almost 20 yrs. I am sure I could do it but would need to look up the equation. It's not like that is something I use everyday .
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 48,070
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 13:00:13 GMT -5
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 21, 2013 13:00:13 GMT -5
I'm not good at math because I have a slight dyslexia where I tend to transpose digits, so I always do each calculation three times to make sure I get the same answer all three times - so it takes me longer than most people to finish
How did you figure that out because I have a similar problem. DH can't figure out how I can do the same calculation three times and get different results. I have to double/triple check my owrk constantly if I'm not using software.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 0:17:24 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 13:00:19 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 13:00:19 GMT -5
I am going to change my answer! I am not bad at math, I don't care for it. I am proficient with the math that I use and the math that I don't know can't hurt me, right?
|
|
The Captain
Junior Associate
Hugs are good...
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 16:21:23 GMT -5
Posts: 8,717
Location: State of confusion
Favorite Drink: Whinnnne
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 13:05:01 GMT -5
Post by The Captain on Aug 21, 2013 13:05:01 GMT -5
I'm not good at math because I have a slight dyslexia where I tend to transpose digits, so I always do each calculation three times to make sure I get the same answer all three times - so it takes me longer than most people to finish
How did you figure that out because I have a similar problem. DH can't figure out how I can do the same calculation three times and get different results. I have to double/triple check my owrk constantly if I'm not using software. Little accounting/math trick - If you have a check figure and your difference is divisible by 9 chances are you have a transposition error somewhere. My advanced algebra teacher in college told us this then proceeded to write the proof (from memory ) on the board for the rest of the class. 42-24 = 18, divisible by 9?, yep 71-17 = 54, divisible by 9?, yep...and so on.
|
|
Abby Normal
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 22, 2010 12:31:49 GMT -5
Posts: 3,501
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 13:08:09 GMT -5
Post by Abby Normal on Aug 21, 2013 13:08:09 GMT -5
I'm an accountant as well, but in my industry we use math constantly and I am the Keeper of all Knowledge within the company- so I use it often.
|
|
973beachbum
Senior Associate
Politics Admin
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:12:13 GMT -5
Posts: 10,501
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 13:09:10 GMT -5
Post by 973beachbum on Aug 21, 2013 13:09:10 GMT -5
I only went up to geom in HS but ended up having to take Calc 1 and what felt like a boat load of stats courses in college. I use some of the geom in my daily life but other than the occaisional wanting to know how much wall paper we would need to do a room not much of that really either. I do use adding, subtracting, multiplying and divding type in my daily life and job all the time, but I don't consider that math just arithmatic.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 0:17:25 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 13:11:35 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 13:11:35 GMT -5
I use it some, not a lot. Highest was calculus in college.
Funny story. When I was applying to graduate school to get my MS in Econ, I was told that I didn't have enough of a math emphasis in my undergraduate Econ degree. Ummm....I turned to the guy and looked him straight in the eyes as I said "my undergrad degree in Econ is from THIS school. So if I don't have enough math in my degree, maybe you should up the math requirements."
They let me in anyway and I did fine....guess it WAS enough.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 0:17:25 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 13:12:59 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 13:12:59 GMT -5
I'm okay at math I guess. I went up to pre-calc (got A's and B's). I considered taking calc I but since I wasn't a STEM major I didn't see the point. Aside from doing simple addition/subtraction/multiplication/division, I really don't do math at work.
|
|
happyhoix
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Oct 7, 2011 7:22:42 GMT -5
Posts: 21,556
|
Math
Aug 21, 2013 13:13:40 GMT -5
Post by happyhoix on Aug 21, 2013 13:13:40 GMT -5
I'm not good at math because I have a slight dyslexia where I tend to transpose digits, so I always do each calculation three times to make sure I get the same answer all three times - so it takes me longer than most people to finish
How did you figure that out because I have a similar problem. DH can't figure out how I can do the same calculation three times and get different results. I have to double/triple check my owrk constantly if I'm not using software. I figured it out because I kept getting different answers for the same calculation, and I started double checking the numbers I was entering into the calculator - often I would switch two of the digits. I do the same thing when I dial a phone sometimes - I call the wrong person, check the last number dialed and it's always got two digits reversed. So what I see and what I type into a calculator or phone aren't always the same thing. Maddening. But I only seem to do it electronically - when I write the numbers by hand I get them right.
|
|