Mathematics: why it is essential, also in daily life
Like it or not, mathematics is essential every day; some people are afraid of it at school, some decide they love it and devote their university studies to it, while others just can’t understand the reason why it is so important. Even if that subject is detested by many and viewed with suspicion by others, it remains a fundamental part of our daily life.
In fact it is required when doing the shopping, buying a house, cooking, travelling, or working in areas such as business, accounting or architecture. By using mathematics, we can calculate prices for sale and purchase, percentages, commissions, discounts, and also the family budget and foreign currency rates.
Its complexity may reach a level where the use of formulae and theorems such as Thales’ Theorem, which permits the calculation of extremely large figures such as the height of a pyramid. However, in order to succeed in all this, it is essential to know and understand mathematics, at least at a basic level, and be able to deal with equations, fractions and volumes.
To understand this concept better, it is sufficient to realise that mathematics is even required in tasks such as the creation of 3D special effects, video games and animated films. Mathematics is present in images, curves, the movement of objects and, more generally, in all that surrounds mankind.
This means that mathematics is essential every day in psychology and sociology in order to analyse results, in sport to measure movements, in biology to understand chemical reactions and in games such as chess so as to work out the right moves. It is also needed to calculate the correct proportions in drawing and to choose the right quantity of colour required in painting.
Certainly in order to ‘get by’ it is not necessary to be an expert physicist or a super engineer, but having some basic mathematical knowledge is essential, to allow you to carry out daily tasks in the most efficient way. Mathematics is indispensable for most ordinary tasks, so it should be considered one of the most important of all disciplines.
Exploring the world, preparing delicious recipes, creating works of art and juggling the family budget are all things which can be made easier thanks to this splendid subject.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
