What happened to Arithmetic?

Post by **Mick F** » 23 Sep 2011, 3:44pm

All we hear these days is Mathematics, Maths, or even (euch) Math. Arithmetic seems to have gone from our vocabulary.

We never hear Arithmetic being referred to. Arithmetic is generally what people mean, it's the study and manipulation of numbers. It uses addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, logarithms, square roots, percentages ......... and others.

It's the oldest branch of Mathematics and is used by almost everyone, so come on, let's hear it for Arithmetic!

byegad · Post by **byegad** » 23 Sep 2011, 4:16pm

My brain hurts.

Trigger · Post by **Trigger** » 23 Sep 2011, 4:20pm

Is there an App for that?

Edwards · Post by **Edwards** » 23 Sep 2011, 4:29pm

I used to ask the pupils "How many F's do you use in Maffs". Cos dey core spaike propur ike wot we con

diapason0 · Post by **diapason0** » 23 Sep 2011, 4:30pm

When I was at school, we had a maths teached called Melmoth. The subject was always called 'Moths'

Edwards · Post by **Edwards** » 23 Sep 2011, 4:32pm

diapason0 wrote:The subject was always called 'Moths'

That is they way I imagine Jonty would say the word. :wink:

Nettled Shin · Post by **Nettled Shin** » 23 Sep 2011, 4:56pm

Steady on. If logarithms form part of arithmetic, then why do we not include other functions?

I read a newspaper article recently in which the author lamented the fact that lots of people poke fun at themselves being rubbish at maths, but you never hear a person laughing at his own inability to read or write. Why should one be cool and not the other? It is as if we accept that some people have a mathematical brain, and others don't. But try short changing someone, or not giving someone enough in his pay packet, and you'll discover that everyone can do maths to some degree.

NUKe · Post by **NUKe** » 23 Sep 2011, 5:35pm

Mick F wrote:All we hear these days is Mathematics, Maths, or even (euch) Math. Arithmetic seems to have gone from our vocabulary.

Thats probably because your children are not at school no more. hear the term often enough at home

Edwards · Post by **Edwards** » 23 Sep 2011, 5:55pm

The last time I used the term was in a woodwork lesson. One of the pupils was using the imperial side of the tape measure so I called over to him "Ariff Metric".

reohn2 · Post by **reohn2** » 23 Sep 2011, 9:34pm

We had a Maths teacher called Mrs Cheetham she was a clever woman but a poor teacher,we also had another chap who's name escapes my memory(I'm glad to say) another clever chap but a bad teacher,both took high delight in embarassing pupils by putting them on the spot when they knew they didn't know the answer to the questions asked.
Their lessons were totally boring.
It was only later that I found Maths interesting but not because of anything these two "teachers" taught me.

TonyR · Post by **TonyR** » 23 Sep 2011, 9:37pm

Arithmetic is so limiting whereas mathematics includes algebra, geometry, calculus etc so is much more representative of the breadth of what most people do. We used to call arithmetic "sums"

Post by **Vorpal** » 23 Sep 2011, 10:08pm

Tom Lehrer has the answer.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXx2VVSWDMo

Post by **ncutler** » 24 Sep 2011, 8:55am

There are three sorts of people:

Those who understand arithmetic, and those who don't.

Nick

[XAP]Bob · Post by **[XAP]Bob** » 24 Sep 2011, 8:57am

Arithmetic is a branch of mathematics (Yes it's a plural, get over it Americans)

It is expressly concerned, as Mick said, with the study of numbers and quantity - but includes number theory, which can get pretty obscure.

[XAP]Bob · Post by **[XAP]Bob** » 24 Sep 2011, 8:58am

ncutler wrote:There are three sorts of people:

Those who understand arithmetic, and those who don't.

Nick

http://m.xkcd.com/953/

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