The film Incredibles 2, which hit theaters in 2018 ,was beloved by viewers for many reasons. The strong female lead, plot twists, and classic superhero movie feel were compelling, but one of the most relatable moments in the movie came when character Robert Parr is asked for help with his math homework by his young son. The expression of frustration and confusion from the father has since become viral. His exclamation of “Math is math!” is seen as extremely humorous and is understood by many students and parents who struggle over math assignments every day.

Math is possibly one of the most complex and controversial subjects we learn in school. Whether it be times tables or calculus, math has always been a backbone of the education system. Because it is so complex and confusing at times, many people wonder why we emphasize it so much in school. What is the necessity of math after middle school? Why is math important to society? Why do we learn such complex things when we already have so much? And, of course, the all-time classic: When will I ever need to use this in life? Well, I set out to answer these questions by interviewing a few math teachers and students to get their takes on the math dilemma.

Mr. Luther Cassidy is one of the math teachers at our school. He stated, “The reason why we have school is to create a stronger society, stronger economies, and a stronger country. Now, if you believe that’s a worthy goal, making students learn to do mathematics is one of the most important aspects of school because it is the most economically viable subject or valuable subject in school. Math allows you to take your thinking and make it much more powerful. You can apply all sorts of quantitative reasoning to solve problems you would otherwise never be able to solve. The big difference between us, ten thousand years ago, two thousand years ago, heck, even 500 years ago, and us now is advancements in mathematics.” A knowledge of mathematics is incredibly important to the development of society historically and will continue to be so. Math allows us to apply logical thinking to otherwise impossible problems. The development of architecture, medical science, and technology is largely due to advancements in our understanding of mathematics. Mr. Cassidy stated that, should math be eliminated as a core subject to education, there would be fewer mathematicians and therefore slow the development of society.

“Math is a building block; you have got to build a foundation. That’s why you start in kindergarten. Work your way to high school. 9th Grade Math, Algebra 1, 10th Grade Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-calc. And there are some other directions that you can go with math. For some it’s three years of math and you’re done; for others it’s more. But if you don’t have the math foundation, how can you continue?” said Mr. William Clark, another math teacher. Math is applied in many different careers across the spectrum, and it is incredibly important to gain a basic knowledge and foundation because of how versatile a tool it is. Math can be applied in numerous settings and is therefore important to the educational experience. Whether or not the career path a student chooses is more math-heavy or light, a foundation will continue to support them in whichever direction they choose to take it.

Math teacher Mr. Matthew Samms stated, “It’s less about doing one specific math problem; it’s about understanding an approach to being able to solve any problem, whether it’s a math problem or not… When you have a problem in life, you need to have this idea of figuring out how to start, how to look at that problem, and that the first step is that I need to take to start being successful.” Math helps students to be successful in life through teaching practical problem-solving skills and introducing this specific mindset. As the theoretical physicist and mathematician Albert Einstein stated, “Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.” Another one of our math teachers explained, “Mathematics is about collaborating and working through problems, solving, looking for multiple pathways, building connections, questioning, looking for mistakes, [and] possible reasoning. And from that, creating generalizations, what is going to make our [lives] more efficient?” Mathematics is really about finding how you can change little things in problems to find solutions.

Considering all these points, while math can be challenging, it is a major backbone in society; we couldn’t function properly without it. Not only does it allow us to discover and advance, but it can also put us in a mindset of progression and positivity, allowing us to look at any problem, big or small, and know where to start. Whether calculating planetary trajectory and orbit or measuring out a glass of milk, a basic foundation in mathematics attained during high school years will always be there.