• Question: How useful is algebra?

    Asked by 596putk28 to Jake on 7 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Jake Langham

      Jake Langham answered on 7 Nov 2017:

      It is *ridiculously* useful. I can’t think of an area of science / technology where algebra isn’t at least a little bit useful.

      I’ll give you an example. There is a part of a computer or a games console called a GPU. (Graphics Processing Unit.) It’s the thing that does the graphics – e.g. for video games. Its *entire* job is just to do loads and loads of algebra really fast to work out where it should put things on the screen and what they should look like.

      ***

      Is that useful enough? Ok, it’s buy one get one free today so you can have another example. When you grow up, it might be the case that self-driving cars are very common. The technology already exists to use a computer program to drive a car and they are better at it than humans! To do this, the computer takes takes a video of the road and does a lot of clever algebra to work out what to do next (which way to turn, whether to apply the brakes and so on).

Comments

  • Photo: 596putk28

    596putk28 commented on :

    Thanks, Jake. As I am a gamer with games like Omsi2 Fernbus TSW TS2017all that i need good graphics and that. It wont really be useful in my studies but I am gonna join the RAF as an airman when im 15. I still do need aqlgebra and i will belong to RAF Hendon.

    • Photo: Jake

      Jake commented on :

      That’s great. Remember if you want to try to become an RAF officer you will have to stay in school a bit longer (and maybe go to university too). It might be good to join Air Cadets when you are old enough too. Whichever you choose though, I hope you are successful.