SoylentNews

High Number of Adults Unable to do Basic Mathematical Tasks

posted by mrpg on Friday March 16 2018, @12:35AM   
from the ∫-√(1+[f(x)']²)dx dept.

"exec" writes:

Suppose, a litre of cola costs US$3.15. If you buy one third of a litre of cola, how much would you pay?

The above may seem like a rather basic question. Something that you would perhaps expect the vast majority of adults to be able to answer? Particularly if they are allowed to use a calculator.

Unfortunately, the reality is that a large number of adults across the world struggle with even such basic financial tasks (the correct answer is US$1.05, by the way).

[...] In many other countries, the situation is even worse. Four in every ten adults in places like England, Canada, Spain and the US can't make this straightforward calculation – even when they had a calculator to hand. Similarly, less than half of adults in places like Chile, Turkey and South Korea can get the right answer.

-- submitted from IRC

High number of adults unable to do basic mathematical tasks

---

Original Submission

• Re:Use it or lose it Re:Use it or lose it (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @06:57AM (4 children)

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @06:57AM (#653422)

  When I was in elementary school, I was required to memorize the times table to 10x10,

  Go back to Japan, you Kumon shill! What is 11X 15, in Coca Cola? Yah, you Oriental educated types always fail when it come to creative thinking. Um, what was I talking about?

  Parent

• Re:Use it or lose it Re:Use it or lose it (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @09:33AM (1 child)

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @09:33AM (#653468)

  11X 15

  1+5 = 6, so 165.

  Multiplying a two digit number by 11 is as easy as adding the two digits together and sticking the result in the middle. Until the sum ends up being two digits, then you need to think a bit more.

  Parent

  • Re:Use it or lose it (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @08:15PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @08:15PM (#653772)

    11 * x = 10x + 1x has always been easier for me

    Parent

• Re:Use it or lose it (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @01:42PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 16 2018, @01:42PM (#653587)

  What is 11X 15

  That depends on the value of X. ;-)

  Parent

• Re:Use it or lose it (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 17 2018, @05:54AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 17 2018, @05:54AM (#653973)

  first off, I'm American and white.

  Second off, the basis for improvisation and creative problem solving is memorized facts. It's neither practical nor necessary to rederive them every time you need them.

  People claiming otherwise are usually middling at best because they aren't bright enough to know what to memorize and what to understand in depth.

  Parent