Math Is Fun Forum

LuisRodg

Real Member

Registered: 2007-10-23

Posts: 322

Question about math.

My stepdad has only completed a HS diploma. He never went to college etc. He doesnt know any algebra at all etc. BUT his mathematical abilities just amaze me. Maybe I should say arithmetic?

Anyways, my family is Cuban-Spanish-American, we live in Miami right now and in my house every weekend theres like a family party, you know, they roast a pig every saturday, beer, music etc. And of course, Dominoes.

I have always been amazed by how my stepdad can count the points on the pieces so fast. You can show him like 20 domino pieces and he just looks at them and instantly tells you how many points...WTF? He always jokes around with me because since im a math major he says "How come your a math major and you cant do it? "

Anyways, the dominoes was just an example. My stepdad can do really long calculations in his mind. And the thing that amazes me is not the fact he can do it. But his speed.

You can ask him the percentage x% of any number n and he just tells you instantly...Like if you say to him what is the 7% of 67. He will tell you 4.69 instantly. It really is amazing.

How is this? Also, does this have any relation to mathematical abilities or is it just arithmetic? Also, since im a math major, am I supposed to be like this?

...

Last edited by LuisRodg (2008-04-10 02:07:25)

bossk171

Member

Registered: 2007-07-16

Posts: 305

Re: Question about math.

I would think it's a combination of things. For starters, some people just have a natural talent. To give a non-math example, I knew a girl from Romania who spoke English quite fluently and when I asked her how many years she studied it, she told me she just learned from watching American TV. She learned Spanish and German this way too, but she told me she;s not as good at them (I wouldn't know I just had to take her word for it). Other people can study a language for years and never get anywhere (that'd be me). I think people are just born with certain talents.

The other thing I think is practice. When I was in high school I used my calculator for everything (because I could) but after I graduated, I got a job selling tools at Sears. After a while I got pretty quick at adding numbers (prices) in my head (for customers). I could also do percentages quickly (sales and what not) but my ability to multiply two multi digit numbers mentally never improved, because no part of my job required it. By the time I left I was known as the "mental math" kid, which is Ironic because in school I was the "calculator" kid.

As one more example (I think I'm getting carried away here) my father is a plumber and has picked up the mental math skill of estimating volumes. He's pretty good at it, but can't even do the most basic of Algebra problems. I don't think that there's anything wrong with the way he, or I, or you do math. As long as you know your strengths and weaknesses, you should be ok.

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There are 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary, those who don't, and those who can use induction.

John E. Franklin

Member

Registered: 2005-08-29

Posts: 3,588

Re: Question about math.

Sounds like your step-dad has strong discrete-math skills, meaning counting countable objects,
and also probably a nice memory or scratch pad where he does math like on paper in his head.
I can't do arithmetic really fast without paper, but the more you try, the better your memory
for each type of example increases.

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igloo myrtilles fourmis

LuisRodg

Real Member

Registered: 2007-10-23

Posts: 322

Re: Question about math.

I cant do arithmetic fast without paper as well.

Identity

Member

Registered: 2007-04-18

Posts: 934

Re: Question about math.

I try to not use my calculator when possible. I think I've gotten marginally faster. Also, I use little tricks such as:

(Do a few more examples to get the gist of it.)

George,Y

Member

Registered: 2006-03-12

Posts: 1,379

Re: Question about math.

I know this kind of technique. It's called visualized caculation. Basically it requires envisionizing the calculation in the head as if doing it on a blackboard. However, I never master it.

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X'(y-Xβ)=0

rida

Real Member

Registered: 2006-09-25

Posts: 839

Re: Question about math.

I can't do thing fast without paper in front of me. Most of the time not a single mark gets on the paper but it just gives me reassurance that if I need it I can use it.

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Dreams don't come true, you gotta make them come true.