Basic Maths: A Lost Art

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Posted by Georgineer on 20/11/2020 15:59:55:

Posted by Martin Kyte on 20/11/2020 13:41:41:

5/4 of the population don't understand fractions.

:O)

Martin

That's an improper comment!

George B.

Nice one, at least I wasn't being vulgar.

Martin

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

When I was in senior school I wasn't the best pupil and it irritated my form teacher when I was top of class , generally I OK with maths but not keen on algebra

H

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 21/11/2020 13:58:52:

… poor education system, it can't tell what Nigel and Dave aged 14 are going to do in later life. Anything between Wastrel and Nobel Prize Winner! …

No known Nobel Prize winners in my ex-pupils, but plenty of wastrels judging by the court reports in the local paper. Such others as I know of have generally turned out OK, and one actually apologised for being such an ******** in school!

Some outcomes one simply can't foresee, like the murderer (and his murderee), both ex-pupils of mine, or the go-getting, award-winning Army Cadet of the Year, who killed himself by imbedding his sports car half way up a wall on his way back from home leave.

I think that overall they're probably just a cross-section of society, like we were.

And on the topic of pedants, I was thinking of having a T-shirt printed with PEDANT AND PROUD! across the chest, but was afraid of running into the local vigilantes who didn't pay attention in English lessons.

George B.

[Mark P.Participant @markp]

Spare a thought for those of us who suffer with dyscalcula, not everyone is a mathematical genius.

Mark P.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Mark P. on 21/11/2020 16:37:23:

Spare a thought for those of us who suffer with dyscalcula

.

I did … when I linked a brief, but very clear, explanation of Mean / Median / Mode for Nigel

Only to be insulted by Bill Pudney

MichaelG.

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by Harry Wilkes on 21/11/2020 15:59:11:

When I was in senior school I wasn't the best pupil and it irritated my form teacher when I was top of class , generally I OK with maths but not keen on algebra

H

A friend in his late seventies has been making a living from electronics all his working life beginning, he assures me, with carrying TV sets into customers houses when they were delivered and set up for you through analogue, digital, microcomputer and now the PIC based systems he designs for industry. He is still working as a design and development engineer.

But like you he has never been able to get his head round algebra, so he remembers three versions of Ohm's law as he cannot convert from V=IxR to I=V/R and R=V/I

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Can't figure out where this thread is leading!

Howard

[Bill PudneyParticipant @billpudney37759]

I am sorry if my comment upset anyone, it was intended as humour. I consider myself both competent ( but not great!) at maths and a pedant.

To avoid upsetting anyone who has a thin skin, or is of a gentile constitution, I shall just offer my best wishes for the upcoming festive season. Stay safe and virus free

cheers

Bill Pudney

[Author]

Posts