The lamentation has been muttered so many times in so many classrooms that they could be proof of a unity across class, race and gender lines; “What good is math going to do me in the real world?”
Mathematics have long had the reputation of being useful only to those in applied mathematical fields, such as engineering, computer programming, or … being an algebra teacher. But how much truth is there to the reputation that haunts this oft-bemoaned subject?
“Math is a very abstract topic with a lot of applications,” defends BC mathematics instructor Kurt Klopstein. He insists that students must open their minds and expand themselves to the possibilities. Math is so often characterized as being a cold, hard and unfeeling subject.
Au contraire, Klopstein infers. Math is seen in more poetic forms of expression such as art, music, and the written word. For example, “the St. Louis arch is a math equation.” This equation is known as a Catenary Curve, and it is mirrored and made concrete in the case of the arch. He also points to more famous art, such as “The Last Supper” by Da Vinci, in its uses of perspective and proportion.
“Sometimes,” he said, “the humanities use math more than the sciences. The organization and argument of a paper can be very mathematical and proportional.”
He also points to the necessity of meter during the composition of music.
Math is also useful in the fields of public service. “Let’s say some firefighters pull up to an apartment on fire, and there is only one hydrant, and it is across the street. They must calculate how many feet of hose they need to roll out in order to fight this fire, and they need to do it in a quick, decisive manner.”
His verbal illustrations continue, “For the criminal justice majors, they need to be aware of body temperature readings when they come across a body on a crime scene to see how long it has been dead, for example.”
Klopstein also cited the importance of mathematics during the wave of natural disasters over the past year, such as Hurricane Katrina. “How do they decide how many helicopters to bring in to rescue survivors? How much food to they bring to feed so many people? These are math problems.”
Klopstein stresses that students should not be intimidated by math’s complexity and that math is simply different methods of finding patterns. Patterns, he says, are what the human brain is naturally inclined to perceive.
Klopstein discusses how his proficiency in math has earned and saved him money in his everyday life. “I have saved hundreds of dollars on my furniture, by figuring out the difference between paying for delivery versus paying for the gas to get it myself.”
Other areas of application are at the supermarket, the gas station, and at department stores. “It is a very effective tool in order to save money and not get ripped off.” He points to often disingenuous sales methods and unethical uses of service machines.
As far as this instructor is concerned, math has not deserved its reputation of uselessness. However, as with all tools its usefulness is limited to its implementation.