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Mathematics is essential in the natural sciences, engineering, medicine, finance, computer science, and the social sciences. Although mathematics is extensively used for modeling phenomena, the fundamental truths of mathematics are independent of any scientific experimentation.
Numeracy has an influence on healthy behaviors, financial literacy, and career decisions. Therefore, innumeracy may negatively affect economic choices, financial outcomes, health outcomes, and life satisfaction. [3] [4] [5] It also may distort risk perception in health decisions. [6]
Considerations about mathematics being the language of nature can be found in the ideas of the Pythagoreans: the convictions that "Numbers rule the world" and "All is number", [7] [8] and two millennia later were also expressed by Galileo Galilei: "The book of nature is written in the language of mathematics".
The final effect is of one enormous mosaic unified by mathematics." [19] The Wall Street Journal said, "Mr. Ellenberg writes, a kind of 'X-ray specs that reveal hidden structures underneath the messy and chaotic surface of the world." [20] The Guardian wrote, "Ellenberg's prose is a delight – informal and robust, irreverent yet serious." [21]
If mathematics has been informally used throughout history, in numerous cultures and continents, then it could be argued that "mathematical practice" is the practice, or use, of mathematics in everyday life. One definition of mathematical practice, as described above, is the "working practices of professional mathematicians".
Mathematics makes up that part of the human conceptual system that is special in the following way: It is precise, consistent, stable across time and human communities, symbolizable, calculable, generalizable, universally available, consistent within each of its subject matters, and effective as a general tool for description, explanation, and prediction in a vast number of everyday activities ...
[2] [3] The major texts from the period, The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art and the Book on Numbers and Computation gave detailed processes for solving various mathematical problems in daily life. [4] All procedures were computed using a counting board in both texts, and they included inverse elements as well as Euclidean divisions.
Relational approach: uses class topics to solve everyday problems and relates the topic to current events. [21] This approach focuses on the many uses of mathematics and helps students understand why they need to know it as well as helps them to apply mathematics to real-world situations outside of the classroom.