The Meaning of Arithmetic for Your Future Maths Career

Whether it is primary school pre-algebra or university-level maths, many South African students are challenged by maths issues which stem from a lack of basic arithmetic knowledge. While many teachers know that great emphasis needs to be placed on the meaning of arithmetic from a young age, many students are left without basic arithmetic tools to advance their maths.

So whatever stage of your maths career you are at, if you want to know how to improve arithmetic skills then this article is for you. Keep reading.

In this guide, we have laid out everything from the basic rules of arithmetic to how to read and understand arithmetic pattern formula.

What is Arithmetic?

The meaning of arithmetic to a maths student is so important that it is worth defining it upfront.

From trigonometry to calculus, arithmetic is used as a basic tool for every level of maths.

The basic rules of arithmetic help with everything from basic addition and subtraction to more complex ideas like logarithms, rational functions and rational expressions. So, what is the meaning of arithmetic, not only for the maths student, but also for anyone in the world?

Let’s begin by looking at the origin and definition of basic arithmetic. Rooted in the Greek word for number, arithmetic is really a branch of mathematics that is concerned with the steps and skills needed for computation. This computation relies on understanding how arithmetic pattern formula works.

Arithmetic which involves four basic functions (adding, subtracting, multiplication and division) is about the counting of numbers. Arithmetic is essential to maths and uses polynomials, systems of equations, inequalities and quadratic equations.

If you want to know how to improve arithmetic skills, then start by aiming to understand what kinds of numbers are used within arithmetic.

• Rational numbers: are a set of numbers that encompass the following:
  • Integers
  • Natural numbers
• Irrational numbers: are the numbers that are not expressed as fractions of two integers

Building on these basic rules of arithmetic, arithmetic has three critical laws for the facility of computation, these are:

• Commutative law
• Associative law
• Distributive law

Apart from a few exceptions, these laws only apply to multiplication and addition. If this seems over-simplified, it may surprise you to know that even the most advanced maths depends on these rules (as well as the other basic rules of arithmetic).

If you are already a bit lost and want to know how to improve arithmetic skills then make sure you read our guide on the bases of arithmetic.

Furthermore, it may be helpful to know that feeling lost in subjects like maths and science is normal. In fact, most students at some time or another will struggle with basic maths. One solution for this would be to find a private tutor who understands the meaning of arithmetic to help bridge the gap and help you to advance.

Finding the Best Arithmetic Tutor

Regardless of whether it is you or your child that needs to know how to improve arithmetic skills, finding the right tutor can make all the difference. The first step in your search is to determine what grade of extra maths will make a difference.

Private maths teachers could fall into one of the following main categories:

• Primary school maths
• High school maths
• University maths
• Exam and test preparation.

This means, if you need help with basic arithmetic at primary school level, you should seek a tutor who specialises in knowing how to improve arithmetic skills of the student.

Remember that the level of tutoring provided will have a direct impact on the tutor’s rate.

Of course, you could do a general internet search for a private maths tutor, however, this is time-consuming and often doesn’t come with any guarantee. Instead, you could head straight over to a reputable tutoring website like Superprof where you could find an arithmetic tutor for an average rate of only R152 per hour.

You could use the website’s location tool to find maths extra classes near me, or you could opt for online lessons with a tutor who is further away.

Remember that prices will vary depending on the experience and qualifications of the tutor you need.

Regardless of what fee you are paying, or whether it is pre-school basic arithmetic or help with an advanced arithmetic pattern formula, a good tutor should always be professional, qualified and experienced enough to help students with their specific problems.

If you would like to know more about how the basic rules of arithmetic can change your maths results, make sure you don’t miss our article on where to find an arithmetic tutor.

Resources Online for Arithmetic Help

A private tutor could be your answer if you are generally struggling in subjects like maths or science or need specific help to be more confident with an arithmetic pattern formula.

While maths courses can be enlightening, even gifted students can be challenged with certain mathematical concepts and problems.

If there is absolutely no budget available for private tutoring, or you only need occasional help with maths, then finding free online maths resources is an option. However, the best way to use free online maths resources is on the specific recommendation of a tutor who knows which are the most appropriate sites to help supplement your lessons.

Remember that when you work with a private tutor, you are able to hone in on the specific maths problems with which you struggle. In the end, this, as opposed to a very general approach to your maths troubles, will save you both time and money.

Free online resources can make excellent supplemental instruction. Still, because there are so many out there, it is best to use websites that are recommended by a maths tutor who knows what your specific struggles are about.

On the subject of tutors, it is critical that you find one with whom you can connect. On Superprof, it is possible to receive your first lesson for free. This provides an opportunity for a discussion about your goals, which will also give you a sense of whether or not you and the tutor are a good personality fit.

Back to using online resources, if you are interested in practising skills like reading an arithmetic pattern formula, then you could ask your tutor to recommend a maths game that would offer specific help for that.

For instance, there are many maths games aimed at adults to help improve calculation speed and mental arithmetic. If you are just generally interested in topics that are affected by maths in the real world, ask around for the best podcasts on politics, culture and economics.

Common Arithmetic Examples and Questions

Once you have learned a bit more regarding the basics behind the origins of arithmetic, you will want to begin practicing common maths problems on your own. To do this, it is often helpful to find a guide to the common arithmetic equations and examples.

While not a definitive guide that includes how arithmetic is used in trigonometric concepts, square roots, exponents or absolute value, here is a taste of what the oldest branch of mathematics entails:

Using the laws that have already been mentioned, we can use the distributive law to solve many inequalities and equations. A common example of this is learning how to simplify algebraic expressions which is found in senior primary and high school.

The distributive law states that when you multiply or add numbers, you first multiply by a number and then perform the addition. For example:

• a x (b + c) = (a x b) + (a x c) = ab x ac

This law is very important for everything from polynomial functions to matrices and has a great many applications in the real world. Here is an example of how this law is used to simplify algebraic expression.

Take:

• 4x + 3(x – 10)

Using distributive law, we can see that to simplify this expression, we must distribute the 3 which results in:

• 4x + 3x – 30

The following step also involves distributive law. Looking above, we know by habit that the next most natural step would be adding 4x and 3x together to result in 7x. However, it’s important to know that the reason this can be done is thanks to distributive law.

• x(4+3) is an alternative way of writing 4x + 3x before the x is distributed.

Now, if we combine everything we have learned, the final answer is:

• 7x – 30

Learning maths should feel empowering and even fun.

Hopefully, this guide has put you on the right track to achieving your goals in arithmetic, which will provide excellent foundations for your overall maths journey.

Discover effective maths lessons online taught by professional tutors on Superprof!