MYTHS

ABOUT MATHEMATICS

1.    Men are better in math than women.

                There is no proof for this statement.  Some of the best mathematicians have been women.
                Sometimes they have had to overcome terrible obstacles to be recognized.  Find out
                about some women mathematicians or scientists.

2.    Math requires logic, not intuition.

                Math problems much like everyday problems require much thought.  Often a purely
                logical approach does not help.  The great scientist and mathematician Isaac Newton
                often used his intuition to find solutions to problems.

3.    You must always know how you got the answer.

                Sometimes solutions will present themselves with seeming very little mental process on
                part.  You know this happens in everyday situations.

4.    Math is not creative.
 
                Art and music and many of the other "creative arts" are are tied to mathematics. A picture
                looks good if it has certain dimensions.  Music sounds best when there are certain math-
                magical relationships between the notes.  There are whole fields of mathematics that deal
                with the mathematics involved in these two "creative" fields.

5.    There is a best way to work a math problem.

                There are very few problems in mathematics that can just be done in one way.  The more
                mathematics you learn, the more ways you will find to do a particular problem.

6.    It is bad to count on your fingers.

                Counting on the digits has always been a method of doing mathematical calculations.
                Your fingers are simply a tool, and in some cases the best tool for the job.

7.    Mathematicians do problems quickly, in their heads.

                Most mathematicians prefer to work on a large board where they can see all the steps
                they made to arrive at an answer.  This helps to find errors.  Doing mental math is for the
                showmen not the serious mathematician, scientist, or engineer.

8.    Math requires a good memory.

                In an interview with mathematicians and engineers, the overwhelming consensus was that
                they chose math because they did not do well with memory work.

9.    Some people have a "math mind" and some don't.

                There is no evidence that this is true.  It is true that some people can do some phases of
                mathematics better than others.  This is no different than music prodigies.  There are very
                few of these, and with training most people can master the techniques of math and music.

10.   There is a magic key to doing math.

                The key to success in mathematics is the same as in any field  "diligent work."
 
 

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