Basic Maths, Round Numbers and Suanpan

Unfortunately, I experienced exactly the same problems at school. Moreover, I decided to go to university with a mathematical bias for some reason despite this. My parents spent a fortune on tutors that time. I had to do accounting at work recently. Therefore, I find out more information on real number vs integers. Btw, I am very annoyed by people who condemn me for my stupidity. Not everyone can count correctly and know absolutely all the formulas. 

I have that intensity, too, to a degree, but, for some reason I find it always wanes and then I go onto my next interest. While that is good in the sense that I learn a lot about a lot of different things, and have good general knowledge, it also means that I never gain a great depth of knowledge in one subject.

I was absolutely abysmal at maths in school, as I said in an earlier post, and I definitely put this down to being prevented from using mechanical aids to work out problems. There is still an insistence that children are taught to work out simple problems in their heads or on paper. Some people are not capable of doing that, and I was one of them. I believe that if I had been able to use a calculator or abacus to work out the number side of the problem, then I would be able to apply my brain power to working out the solution. Often, I knew how to work out a problem, but I had errors in the basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division aspects.

Now, as many Japanese children are taught to do, I work out everything on my abacus and can work out mathematical sums faster in many cases than I can on paper, or even with a calculator.

I hated maths at school, but years later I became fascinated by prime numbers, and I've made several original discoveries in the field of number theory that I've never got round to publishing.  For several years, before going to sleep at night, I'd play with a calculator, see patterns in certain number sequences and try to work out the reasons for this.  I also linked my prime-number work to the periodic table of elements, and even with obscure aspects of the French esoteric Tradition.  (I read French fluently, and languages had always been more 'my thing' than numbers). 

I've also spent long, long hours working on traffic analysis of encrypted radio transmissions consisting of random 5-figure groups (sometimes hundreds in a single message).  The intensity of autism makes this possible - mind-numbing for most people, but not for me!  The occasional flash of insight leads to success, and is well worth the effort.  Most of my work on this has been published.

Ironically, I have dyscalculia, and have a very strange way of adding up small figures, often making mistakes in the process (the same bizarre method I used at age 4).  Most people can probably add, say 4 and 9, instinctively, but I can't.  Despite this disability, I'm highly tuned to the elegance of numbers, and the mystery of irrational and transcendental numbers, etc. I suspect that the unifying secret of the universe, and everything within it, is inextricably linked to numbers, and that our decimal counting system is also an essential part of the natural order, and no human accident.

It occurred to me yesterday that when I'm stressed or worried I "play" with my abacus a lot, it seems to calm me down and make me less anxious.

We have a production line education system these days.

Turn out clones, every one the same, and the ones that don't meet the 'standard' are rejected.  Which is how much talent goes to waste.

I was taught to subtract by 'borrowing and paying back', anyone taught this method will know what I mean.  And to me it makes perfect sense, and it gives the right answer. 

Now they teach some other method.  It also gives the right answer, but for some reason the old method is discredited.  Does it matter if it works?  I just wonder if there are some children (especially on the autism spectrum) who would be far more suited to the 'old method' (just as some may be more suited to the 'new'.  I'm probably well out of date with education methods, there may even be several other methods now, all of them valid but some probably a lot easier to understand.

And arithmetic is only a small part of mathematics.  There is algebra, linear algebra, trigonometry, calculus, matrices .. and probably others which I cannot think of.  All of them have concepts which some find difficult, all of them have various methods of working to come to the same answer. 

Everyones way of thinking is different to other peoples.  But I know that those on the autism spectrum have the best way of thinking.  And it will always be so!

Sadly, I didn't even get to A-level standard in maths. While I was in school I found it incredibly difficult to get my head around. I was very good in language-based subjects, but I don't believe I was taught maths in a way I could understand. The problem, I think, is that education is standardised for the majority (it has to be, or nothing would get done), but children are individuals and learn in different ways. For instance (I am repeating myself here, I have another post regarding this on another part of the forum), I have problems seeing numbers in my head, and keeping track of them. I believe that if I was allowed to use an abacus (preferably one of the Japanese or Chinese ones, of course this was back in the 90s, they probably weren't very common in the UK then), I would have been far better at basic maths than I was then. If I had been able to use a calculator, instead of being forced to work out things mentally, then I may well have passed GCSE maths instead of failing it.

Thanks for your posts. I was told as a child that I had learning difficulties in maths (which probably turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy) but, over the years I have found ways to cope. I think, as you said Trainspotter, that we are sometimes too reliant on electronic calculators, and, for me, the soroban and suanpan are good ways for me to visualise the numbers and keep track of them (I think my maths deficiency stems from an inability to "see" numbers in my head and to keep track of steps involved in maths problems).

I think that mental arithmetic should definitely be taught in schools, and, should perhaps be concentrated on, and, for those not so interested in maths, children should be taught to use maths to work out real world problems, such as money, calculating bills, etc.

I wish I had had the opportunity to experience pre-decimal currency, but, unfortunately, I was born before pre-decimalisation. I can use inches and feet as easily as metres and cms, though.

There is a call to stop using pennies in our currency, and to round up and down (it will mostly be up, I'm sure), and I think it would certainly make life much easier. I don't hold any particular sentimental feelings towards money at all, although I know some people do.

I've always had a love for math and numbers, even a bit of an obsession. Making up math problems using random license plates as a child was a favcorite game of mine. And what do you know, I made a career of it. I'm a professional Bookkeeper.

Hi Paddy

You are not the only one interested in numbers.  And round numbers have a certain beauty of their own.

I always liked trying to work out ways of multiplication and division.  There were the old rules I learned, like to mutilply by 25, put two zeros on and divide by four.  Multiply by five by adding a zero and dividing by two.  And then there was multiplying by nine by adding a zero and taking one tenth away. Multiply by eleven by multiplying by ten and adding ten per cent. Multiply by eight by adding a zero and taking away twenty percent. (or doubling, then doubling again then doubling again).   A lot of shortcuts to help doing the sums in your head.

But I was also brought up on pounds shillings and pence.  And they were really beautiful to use in mathematics.  One dozen items, just call the pence shillings.  Twenty items call the shillings pounds.  And six and eightpence was one third of a pound, One and eightpence was one twelfth of a pound. Two hundred and forty pence in a pound, four hundred and eighty ha'pennies and Nine hundred and sixty farthings.  Money was worth something in those days! Just wonderful to work with and a great pity that we went decimal.  Ever since a lot of people have been unable to do mental arithmetic.

And now there are those who cannot add up anything without an electronic calculator.