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[–] 3 points 1 month ago* (6 children)

People always say math when they just mean arithmetic.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    For the general public that's a distinction without a difference

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  • [–] 0 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    Yeah but for those of us who actually studied math, it's silly. Rote arithmetic barely qualifies, you hardly even see actual numbers in math except for a handful of single digit integers for exponents, subscripts, coefficients, etc.

    It's like calling a golf cart a "sports car".

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago* (2 children)

    how many people in the general population have mathematics degrees?

    1.3 of undergrad degrees are in mathematics, and only about 40% of USA adults have a bachelors or higher, so about .053% of Americans have math degrees, or we can say 99.47% do not. so out of 2000 people, only 1 of them has a math degree.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    Imagine being the guy who gatekeeps maths.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (1 child)

    I'm not sure you understand my point.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    No, I understand it, but you're still the guy who's gatekeeping maths, and your analogy is bad. A better one would be calling mixing vinegar and baking soda chemistry, which despite how basic (and acidic) it is any chemist will. Basic maths is still maths.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (1 child)

    Except that arithmetic still qualifies as maths even if it is only barely, whereas a golf cart doesn't qualify as a sports car. It's more like saying "vehicle" when you mean "kid's bicycle "; it's still technically true even though it isn't the most sophisticated.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (1 child)

    It's a car you use for sports.

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