Does Math Improve Thinking? A Comprehensive Look

This article investigates whether math training improves thinking and problem-solving skills. It discusses how studying mathematics can help increase general intelligence by developing important skills such as systematic thinking.

Does Math Improve Thinking? A Comprehensive Look

It is often said that mathematics provides those who study it with transferable skills, such as the ability to think logically and critically or to have better research, ingenuity and creativity skills to solve problems. Dr. Attridge's research has demonstrated that studying higher mathematics (at the advanced secondary and university levels) leads to an increase in logical capacity. Specifically, math students become more skeptical in their reasoning and begin to think more critically.

Mathematical thinking also enhances the mind in terms of logical thinking. Logical thinking, in turn, helps children excel in other subjects as well. It makes them better problem solvers, which can be beneficial even outside of academia. Mathematics sharpens your mind, increases your power of reasoning, and helps your mind to be more cheerful and open.

The more math problems you solve, the more your reasoning power will increase. From my own experience, studying physics and mathematics has been a transformative experience every step of the way, and I am inclined to say that there is a strong correlation between the progress of my studies and my thinking and problem-solving skills. It is sadly revealing that, while Wason's selection task is well known among psychologists, most mathematicians and mathematics teachers are not familiar with it. Mathematics is a science that, based on exact basic annotations and through logical reasoning, studies the properties and quantitative relationships between abstract entities (numbers, geometric figures, symbols).

If you think deeply, you feel that you are everything, and that is the best thought you feel through mathematics. Studying mathematics can help increase general intelligence by developing important skills such as systematic thinking, problem solving, recognition of sequences and patterns, etc. Mathematics requires you to create connections and recognize patterns. This type of critical thinking develops brain muscles, which extend to other facets of life, academic and otherwise.

Becoming an expert in mathematics will open up your brain's ability to better understand and solve abstract problems. Here's an article that investigates the question of whether math training improves thinking and problem-solving skills. The authors suggest that people who succeed in mathematics may already be good problem solvers, but there is no doubt that training in mathematics would facilitate these particular problems. It will make learning mathematics much more enjoyable for them and they will also get into the habit of doing mental mathematics, which will be very useful to them in everyday life, as well as in any field they study in the future. Mathematics requires abstract and concrete thinking, leading to the development of brain muscles.

New brain research reveals that through hard work and effort, you can improve your intelligence. Nowadays, you often hear that this is “nature above” parenting and that people are born with mathematical skills or not, but research shows that this is not true. I have always thought that, in some ways, mathematics is the least challenging of all the things that can be studied because there is less to know and the rest is just thinking. In conclusion, it is clear that studying mathematics can improve one's thinking skills by developing important skills such as systematic thinking, problem solving, recognition of sequences and patterns etc. It also helps increase general intelligence by sharpening one's mind and increasing their power of reasoning. Furthermore, it helps people become better problem solvers which can be beneficial even outside of academia.

Shahid Lakha
Shahid Lakha

Shahid Lakha is a seasoned educational consultant with a rich history in the independent education sector and EdTech. With a solid background in Physics, Shahid has cultivated a career that spans tutoring, consulting, and entrepreneurship. As an Educational Consultant at Spires Online Tutoring since October 2016, he has been instrumental in fostering educational excellence in the online tutoring space. Shahid is also the founder and director of Specialist Science Tutors, a tutoring agency based in West London, where he has successfully managed various facets of the business, including marketing, web design, and client relationships. His dedication to education is further evidenced by his role as a self-employed tutor, where he has been teaching Maths, Physics, and Engineering to students up to university level since September 2011. Shahid holds a Master of Science in Photon Science from the University of Manchester and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Bath.