A four-letter word that traditionally used to be called “arithmetic” in elementary or primary school—the third “R” in Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic. A much-disliked school subject that is mostly used as a social filter to separate the nerds from the herd, or to politically decide the future haves and the have-nots in society.
Unlike our parents and grandparents who’re schooled in old-school math, we’re now taught new math (which includes new ways to add, subtract, and multiply numbers), Common Core math (which incorporates many new math techniques), and Singapore math (which integrates the concrete-pictorial-abstract (CPA) approach to learning math and the bar model method to solve word problems).
by Numerati June 14, 2025
A figure that tracks how many months on average a blue-collar worker in a country has to work before they can save enough money to afford an iPhone.
The iPhone index (ii) in Singapore is arguably around 2, compared to 6 or 7 in neighboring Malaysia.
by Numerati December 23, 2023
When on hearing the sound of the number π, an autistic person or idiot savant thinks of a slice of a cake or pizza instead, or equates either word for something else that is unmistakably alien or paranormal.
Just as the man who mixed up his job for his life, Prof. Paulos, who mildly suffers from schizophrenia, occasionally sounds like the man who mistook pi for pie.
by Numerati December 29, 2023
The idea that math educators should focus on effort rather than on results—that failure is part of the success equation, because a set of false starts, failures, and frustrations are often necessary or unavoidable before someone could experience some degree of mathematical progress or achievement.
To fail is no shame, but failure to try again often is. A growth mindset in mathematics is to try or fail again, while failing better or faster each time.
by Numerati December 14, 2024
The fuzzy-and-funny logic used by female digital natives (who proudly boast about not being born or blessed with the “math gene”) to rationalize why they are getting a pretty good deal as far as their time, money, and convenience are concerned, compared to those who think or act differently from them.
“Girl math” may debatably be likened to the female equivalent of Yogi-isms or Yogi Berra’s “aphorisms.”
by Numerati October 07, 2023
When students, teachers, and homeschoolers could access affordable or quasi-free quality grades K–12 math resources based on the math curriculum from the “fine” city of Singapore, by bypassing traditional channels of distribution or mercenary middlepersons.
Thanks to print on demand (POD), the Uberization of Singapore math has significantly leveled the playing field for self-published authors and small publishers, as they needn’t rent a warehouse to store their books and rely on cut-throat distributors and bookstores to sell their titles.
by Numerati June 17, 2025
A mélange or rojak of the best math methodologies and pedagogies from the East and the West, which has given local students in the “fine” city of Singapore an asymmetric or unfair advantage over their peers overseas—when even their weaker students fare better than the global average.
Singapore Math has sprung up a cottage industry in math education, as millions of homeschoolers worldwide realized that wallet-friendly, brain-unfriendly math titles have helped their children hone their problem-solving skills.
by Numerati December 16, 2024