Many people assume that math only involves performing challenging calculations and formulas that are never used in real life. Contrary to popular belief, math is the universal language and is used in almost all facets of life.1 Whether it’s through playing games or creating music, math is crucial for encouraging our children’s creativity and helping them achieve their goals. It doesn’t take much investigation to realize that math permeates our daily lives and is everywhere.

Have you ever heard a young child say something like “I’ll never use this in real life” when they are attempting to solve some algebra or calculus problems? Many parents and teachers hear statements like this frequently, and when they do, they usually inform the child that they might require it in the future for a job, or that it improves their ability to engage in critical thought. Nevertheless, despite the fact that these responses are good and well-intended, the child’s immediate and practical needs are not met. So, the next time you find children struggling with math, you can remind them of these most commonly used practical applications of math in everyday life.

  • Money management is likely the most frequently mentioned practical use of math in daily life. It will be very challenging for you to survive in a money-driven society if you can’t add or subtract correctly. A fundamental understanding of higher math, such as algebra, is necessary in order to fully comprehend the terms of a loan or investment account. You see, the concepts of exponential growth are used in the interests related to these kinds of money markets.2
Money
  • Architectural design is another area where math is applied extensively. Every structure you frequent, including homes, offices, schools, apartment buildings, movie theaters, ice cream shops, was created using mathematical design and construction principles. A habitable structure must first be designed by an architect before construction workers can build it. Architectural design heavily utilizes trigonometry, algebra, and geometry. These mathematical forms are used by architects to plan their blueprints or initial sketch designs and estimate the likelihood of problems the building crew might experience as they realize the design vision in three dimensions.1
architecture
  • Health and fitness is one of the most important aspects of anybody’s life. How does having a foundational understanding of math help with exercise, health, and fitness? Despite the fact that staying in shape is not typically thought of as a quantitative activity, math is incorporated into all forms of exercise. People can track their achievements and fitness progress in a tangible way, thanks to math. Over time, math can motivate people to maintain their exercise routines. Numerous math-based calculations, such as those for Body Mass Index (BMI), Heart Rate Reserve (HRR), Maximal Oxygen Consumption (VO2max), Metabolic Equivalents (METs), Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), etc., can have a significant positive impact on one’s health and fitness.1
health and fitness
  • Sports use math for a variety of purposes, including average point calculations, goal scoring, winning scores, leaderboard creation, strategy development, and probability calculations. Even sports cannot avoid math as technology for measuring and improving performance advances. From amateur athletic training to high-level sporting prowess, technology can provide athletes with feedback. It is essential in many facets of sport, from the straightforward task of gathering performance data to the setting of world records. Math also enhances a person’s cognitive and decision-making abilities. A sportsperson needs these abilities in order to make the best decisions for themselves and their team.1
Sports
  • Art in almost any form uses math. Math may appear to some people to be a collection of complicated formulas and ideas, but there are many connections and parallels between math and art. Music and dance are full of math. It can also be found in amazing architectural designs around us. 1
Art

There are numerous other applications for math besides these. Math is used in virtually everything you know and experience: in home improvement and outdoor landscaping, in almost any workplace, in calculating forces on space and aircraft flights, in measuring pH, for determining the likelihood of disasters, for predicting bacterial growth and decay, in weather forecasting, in movies, in practically every profession, in hospitals, and so much more. Therefore, there are essentially endless applications for math. If you’d like to learn more about these and other applications of math in our daily lives, consider checking out BYJU’S FutureSchool Blog. 

References:

1. Super Interesting Examples of Maths in Real-World. (n.d.). Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://codinghero.ai/super-interesting-examples-of-maths-in-real-world/#t-1630914920214

2. Math and Money | CreditRepair.com. (n.d.). Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://www.creditrepair.com/education/counseling/math-and-money

Math, World of Math