Many people certainly hate math.  I think this is due to misdirected attempts to increase the number of mathematicians.  They tried to teach advanced concepts to everyone from an early age.  Most did not understand their use and learned nothing useful.  Myself, I learned mathematics in a more traditional way.  (This was in 1989 – 92.)  I learned addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in just this order.  However, when I came to division, I think I had stated getting bored.  But I have at least learned the basics.  I also remember how to calculate percent and precentral increase or decrease.  So at least I can do something more than simple everyday use.

Practically useful mathematics also include geometry.  The word originally meant earth-measuring.  However, this was earth in the land meaning and not in the world meaning.  Those which first developed geometry were not interested in the shape of the world.  In contrast they were interested in documenting arable land.  Later it turned out to be useful for documenting the movements of celestial objects.  Also, architects, engineers and sailors got use of geometry.  To me it is this usefulness which shows geometry holds true.  Had the rules been entirely made up the results would not have worked.  But those claiming them to be made up likely don’t know that many professionals routinely use geometry.

The limitations of classical geometry were not noticed until the 19th century.  Curiously, it was the roundness of the Earth itself which led to seeing this need.  Surveying instruments had become exact enough for the measurements they got not matching flat surfaces.  Triangles measured across the landscape had a sum of angles higher than 180 degrees.  For the reason of such results geometry for curved surfaces were invented.  However, in most everyday contexts classical geometry is enough.  It is then exact enough for the purpose.

Unfortunately, geometry also teach some things to be impossible.  One can’t transfer a curved surface to a completely flat one without getting distortions.  This is not about a failure from the side of science.  Instead, this is about it being mathematically impossible.  All different map projections as such has their good and bad sides.  The Mercator projection became the most common because it was practical for sailors.  A strait line on the map is also strait in reality.  The bad side is that areas near the poles become heavily enlarged on the map.  But this did not matter to the sailors which sailed on the low to mid latitudes.  (They neither knew that exactly how fast they actually sailed.)  Since such maps were easily available, they started to be used for other purposes.  Which resulted in some misconceptions of how large landmasses are.

Uploaded on the 5th of October 2023.