Casual observation tells us that most people don’t use math beyond simple arithmetic in everyday life. Few people make use of fractions, trigonometry, or multi-digit division algorithms they use in school. More advanced tools like algebra or calculus are even less likely to be brought out to solv...

The first argument would allege a failure of education. People don’t use math because they were never taught it thoroughly enough to use it properly.

A lack of automaticity may explain the difficulty people had with the quantitative questions in the survey. Their math wasn’t easily accessib...

• Below Basic – Add up two numbers to complete an ATM deposit.
• Basic – Calculate the cost of a sandwich and salad using prices from a menu.
• Intermediate – Calculate the total cost of ordering office supplies using a page fro...

The second argument is a little different. It argues that people may develop competence in math classes, but they struggle to translate real-life problems into a format where they can use their mathematics knowledge.

What people struggle with is not doing math, but recognizing where...