Sir, why are we learning this?

We are learning this because somebody needs to improve online security – and it could be you. We are learning this so that we can keep our trains running on time and enhance the performance of Formula 1 cars. We are learning this so that we can identify the most efficient way of moving the ball from De Gea to Rashford. We are learning this so that, like Newton, we can stand on the shoulders of giants and see further. We are learning this so that house music synergises with the clubbers heartbeat. We are learning this to increase the safety of our military’s frontline and to fight viruses. We are learning this so that you can come up with creative solutions to global issues, such as wealth distribution, climate change and homelessness. We are learning this so that we can fight fascism like Turing did. We are learning this so you can build bridges, instead of walls. We are learning this so that you can change the world – so let’s get on with our lesson, shall we?

Wish I’d had this retort at my disposal when the question was asked.

Maths is important because…

1.???? It is the key to us mastering our environment and making the best economic and political decisions, e.g. the Laffer Curve guides politicians as to which tax rate yields the highest revenue, and Pareto’s principle goes some way in explaining the distribution of wealth across a country.

2.???? It can save lives (Alan Turing and Abraham Wald both helped shorten World War II).

3.???? Social empowerment – critical analysis of headlines and the words of politicians helps democracy.

4.???? Nurturing problem solving increases the likelihood of us developing creative solutions to social and environmental problems, benefitting us as a species.

5.???? Better data handling prepares our workforce for an increasingly data-led economy, from quantitative analysis to digital strategy.

6.???? Better numeracy, is conducive to a functioning society as it helps with successful day-to-day living, e.g. household budgeting, currency exchange rates, cookery recipes, using equations to compare contracts… etc.

7.???? Work-related knowledge benefits businesses e.g. calculus can be used to find the production level that maximizes profit. Successful businesses are good for the economy.

8.???? Advanced specialist knowledge causes certain industries to thrive, such as engineering, construction (notably practical geometry), medicine, finance and business. This type of maths is known as applied maths.

9.???? When taught well, maths is incredibly enjoyable for the student, and can really instil a love of learning. This is especially true in pure maths, where we focus on abstract and theoretical concepts for their own sake, without a view to a potential future use (Einstein described it as "the poetry of logical ideas"). Without application, its value then is simply in its beauty and elegance. Not everything that is studied should be studied simply because it has clear utility – as well as equipping the future workforce, our job as educators is to instil a love of learning.

10.?? Studying maths has been found to increase gamma-aminobutyric acid, a chemical which is crucial for brain plasticity.

11.?? Awareness of cross-curricular links results in a deeper appreciation of culture, music, art and history (notably Bach, Da Vinci, Escher, Fibonacci, Mondrian, Enigma, Crimean War, Thales, Eratosthenes, the Bible …etc).

12.?? Thanks to the work of John Nash, maths can win you games. In a tall tale, glamorised by Hollywood blockbuster A Beautiful Mind, Game Theory was born out of an alcohol fuelled debate regarding how to win the affections of a group of girls. In reference to Adam Smith's famous dictum "in competition, individual ambition serves the common good", Nash exclaims that Smith's theory is in need of revision. The best collective result, he says, comes from every individual “doing what’s best for himself, and the group”. A lovely use of Game Theory is seen in golf’s biennial Ryder Cup.?

In the set-up on the left-hand side, Europe is likely to lose 5-0. But with a simple shift to the order of play, the results turn in favour of Europe, who are now predicted to win 4-1. In an amusing occurrence, now warmly referred to as ‘Sandwich-Gate’, a long-lensed photographer appeared to snap the European order of play. Nick Faldo, the European captain, surely horrified at first, addressed the photograph at the ensuing press conference with a mischievous retort, exclaiming that the list was in fact a sandwich order. He was certainly under no delusion about the importance of the order of play, and the significant role that Game Theory plays.

Other responses

Euclid’s response

When a young man studying under the Greek mathematician Euclid asked: “What do I gain by learning geometry?” Euclid told his servant to “give him threepence, since he must make a gain out of what he learns” and promptly kicked him out of his academy.

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GH Hardy’s response

“I have never done anything 'useful'. No discovery of mine has made, or is likely to make, directly or indirectly, for good or ill, the least difference to the amenity of the world."

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My dad’s response

“Children who can solve the Rubik’s Cube and who have mastered a kick-flick on a skateboard are rightly admired. As are job candidates with degrees: they’ve proved that they can apply themselves to something and persevere when things get tricky. The same logic applies to maths. You’re studying it because it’s hard and we want to see how you cope.”

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Mr Todd’s response (my Y6 teacher)

“We study mathematics because it is interesting and beautiful. Any other ‘useful’ reasons are a bonus!”

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Mr Hunter’s response (my A-level teacher)

“I don’t know, but it’s on the test so you better learn it.”

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My blanket response

“Because it’s enjoyable and important.”

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