The purpose of education is to confuse you and hide the truth (video title)

[Stravinsk]

That's the title of the video. And while to some extent I agree, I'm not sure what is exemplified fits that description.

Nevertheless, I did find the two alternate methods of doing mathematics very interesting. I can't say it's "easier" right off - because I'm simply not accustomed to using either method in my head. But it might be for someone entering the subject.


Guiding Questions I'm asking a response to in this thread:

Is the math easier in either of the two methods to you? Do you think it would be easier to a newcomer to math?

And also - if this has been known for so long - why is it not taught like this?

 

[MoreCoffee]

It looks okay, multiplication and division were never very hard using the traditional school taught method and memorising the times table for 1 to 10 is not too hard. But it is easier to remember how to double and how to half so the Russian peasant method looks fine for multiplying and the ancient Egyptian method for multiplication and division (of integers) looks fine too.

 

[atpollard]

Try 22 / 7 using the Egyptian math.

 

[Stravinsk]

Try 22 / 7 using the Egyptian math.

As follows, for the decimal places:

22/7 = 3.142857142857143

22 / 7
1 7
2 14
4 28

2+1= 3 (21) 3 is whole number with a remainder of 1. To get fraction:

22-21 = 1

Append 0 (1 to 10)

10 / 7
1 7
2 14
4 28
First decimal is 1, with a remainder of 3

append 0 to 3 (30)

30 / 7
1 7
2 14
4 28
Second decimal is 4, with a remainder of 2

append 0 to 2 (20)

20 / 7
1 7
2 14

Third decimal is 2, with a remainder of 6

append 0

60 / 7
1 7
2 14
4 28
8 56

Fourth decimal is 8, with a remainder of 4

...