Should Algebra be a required course for high school graduation? Why or why not?
I think that a lot of the math we teach in high school is unnecessary. Geometry and trigonometry have their uses, especially since they usually use geometry to try to teach the nature of proof and what it means to think rigorously. But the applications for most people are fairly limited. But algebra is the fundamental element of problem solving. All of the “word problems” you’ve been doing for years are really algebra: identify the unknowns, identify the relationships between the numbers, apply a few simple techniques, and poof: you have an answer. That really is absolutely necessary in real life. Algebra is the practical application of arithmetic. The advanced forms of algebra aren’t really necessary. Nobody ever factors a polynomial, and to be honest I’d need to work it out for a while myself (and I have a degree in math and work as a professional logician.) The basic elements, though, the ones that make it possible to balance a check book and figure out how much baking powder you ne
