Does Math improve brain function?
By
Jaimar Tuarez
The brain uses mathematics to interpret the world, It applies the calculation of probabilities to determine the causes of what is happening around us.
In this interesting article we’re going to answer the question ¨Does math improves brain function?¨, how the brain works and what connection or relationship it has with mathematics
Does math improve brain function?
“Mathematics is food for the brain” a statement like this is bound to raise a lot of questions, but math professor Dr. Arthur Benjamin knew exactly what he was talking about. After all, math is all about finding patterns and making connections.
Math requires abstract and concrete thinking, which leads to the development of the brain’s muscles. Studying math is a springboard to increasing your overall intelligence, and with regular practice, you get better at various academic pursuits.
How is this possible? Well, math allows you to see connections and develop neural pathways that strengthen your brain.
Mathematics enhances your analytical and problem-solving skills, creates the basis for systemic thinking, improves the skills required to arrive at logical conclusions, expands the mind to handle unfamiliar tasks with ease and confidence, learns through trial and error, and promotes cautious and careful thinking.
What´s math?
Math is a science that, from exact basic notations and through logical reasoning, studies the properties and quantitative relationships between abstract entities (numbers, geometric figures, symbols).
Through mathematics, we know quantities, structures, space, and changes. Mathematicians look for patterns, formulate new conjectures and try to reach mathematical truth through rigorous deductions. These allow them to establish the appropriate axioms and definitions for this purpose.
What’s the brain?
The brain can be defined as a complex organ, located within the skull, that manages the activity of the nervous system. It’s part of the Central Nervous System (CNS) and constitutes the most voluminous and known part of the brain. It’s located in the anterior and superior part of the cranial cavity and is present in all vertebrates. Inside the skull, the brain floats in a transparent fluid, called cerebrospinal fluid, which performs protective functions, both physical and immunological.
Is math good for your brain?
Yes, it is. One of the main reasons the brain circulates is math. If you think deeply, you feel like you are everything, and that is the best thought you feel through math. Math is about having fun. That’s your logic, how you can try to solve math.
So the conclusion is that if you think in many different ways you can get anything. And when you think about different points of view, that means you are circulating your brain. that’s all.
How math develops brain muscles in young children?
Early childhood is when brain growth is at its peak. This offers parents a window of time to foster cognitive development to its fullest potential.
Just like weight-training builds the muscles, mathematical thinking develops the brain. Your muscles must be strained and used to get stronger, but many people fail to understand that much in the same way, your brain requires mental exercise to keep your mental skills and memory at its best.
Here, math can be a critical element of cognitive fitness, especially for young developing children.
New brain research reveals that through hard work and effort, you can improve your intelligence Today you often hear that it’s “nature” over “nurture,” and that people are either born with math aptitude or not, but research shows that this isn’t true.
Differences in mathematics learning can be attributed to the experiences that you have had in life that have helped build the brain connections that allow you to think about complex math problems
What does that mean for young students? Offering functional and positive math experiences at younger ages is key to architecting brain connections that can be built upon down the road.
Math requires you to create connections and recognize patterns This type of critical thinking builds the brain’s muscles, which spills over into other facets of life, academic and otherwise.
Studying math can help to boost overall intelligence by developing important skills such as systematic thinking, problem solving, sequence and pattern recognition, etc. These skills not only make a positive immediate impact on children but also can serve them well in all future endeavors.
So, when you hear parents using phrases like “my child just isn’t a math person” remember: people don’t do math because they are smart, rather, they do math because it makes them smarter. We are all born with an immature brain, so start building math muscles in early childhood when development is so important.
What are the benefits of mathematics?
Helps you understand things
Mathematics is among everything that surrounds us, ideas are materialized intangible things that have a mathematical basis.
By analyzing the objects that we’ve around us, it’s possible to better understand how they work thanks to this discipline.
Logic
By mastering mathematical concepts, we can increase analytical thinking to be more attentive to everyday situations.
When we’re presented with a real problem we’ll be able to face it efficiently thanks to an elaborated logic.
In this way, we reason to avoid risky situations such as manipulations, errors, even deception from people close to us.
Preparation and mental agility
When we solve math problems it’s necessary to focus to isolate all the distracting factors.
Repeating this situation frequently makes you gain concentration for any area of life. You’re preparing your mind for any situation and you’ll progressively gain mental agility.
This way you’ll make faster decisions, you’ll compare mental data to obtain more accurate conclusions, you’ll assimilate new knowledge, etc.
Knowledge hunger
It has always been said that knowledge doesn’t take place, and thanks to this science it’s possible to awaken a desire for knowledge that was previously asleep.
Analytical thinking
Thinking analytically allows us to see and analyze socially accepted “absolute” truths and judge them based on our criteria.
What part of the brain is related to mathematics?
The left hemisphere is related to the verbal part. It’s the motor part capable of recognizing groups of letters forming words and groups of words forming sentences. It also deals with arithmetic and logic.
This half is the most complex and is the dominant one in most individuals. There are two structures related to the linguistic capacity of the human being: the ‘Broca area’ and the ‘Wernicke area’. The first one has the function of oral expression, while the second one is in charge of language comprehension.
In addition to this, the left hemisphere is attributed with the capacity to analyze, reason, solve numerical problems or make deductions.
Thoughts from this hemisphere are cold and dominant realistically; and among the groups of people who use this part of the brain the most would fit scientists or engineers.
How is numerical information processed in the brain?
Each of them is associated with three regions of the parietal lobe.
The verbal system in which numbers are represented through words. For example, forty-three. It activates the left angular rotation involved in the exact calculations.
The visual system in which the numbers are represented according to an association of known Arabic numbers.
The non-verbal quantitative system in which we can set the values of the numbers. For example, we understand the meaning of the number 43 generated by four tens and three units. In this system participates
The most active and important region in the resolution of numerical problems: the horizontal segment of the. intraparietal sulcus. Its activation increases when an estimate of a rough result is made; not when we make an exact calculation. In the approach, although both hemispheres are activated There is a certain reference to the right.
What is the importance of mathematics?
Mathematics is fundamental for the intellectual development of humans, it helps them to be logical, to reason in an orderly manner, and to have a mind prepared for thought, criticism, and abstraction.
Mathematics shapes attitudes and values, because it guarantees a solidity in its foundations, security in the procedures, and confidence in the results obtained. All this creates in humans a conscious and favorable disposition to take actions that lead to the solution of the problems they face every day.
In turn, mathematics contributes to the formation of values, determining our attitudes and behavior. They serve as patterns to guide our lives, a style of facing logical and coherent reality, the search for accuracy in results, clear understanding and expression through the use of symbols, capacity for abstraction, reasoning, and generalization, and the perception of creativity as a value.
FAQR: Does math improve brain function?
What part of the brain has superior math skills?
Actually, in most activities, the whole brain is used at all times. Mathematical thinking involves complex, interconnected brain functions to perform even the simplest functions. For example, you can use the right parietal lobe to approach a mathematical solution; however, to get the right answer, the left hemisphere processes its solution further.
Does Math improve critical thinking?
Absolutely. The thing about math is that problems are balanced between two sides of an equal sign. When you do something on one side, the other side is directly affected. That’s critical thinking too.
How math can help you to develop the brain?
Math sharpens your mind, increases your reasoning power, and helps your mind to be more joyful and open, the more math problems you solve, the more your reasoning power increases. You become more creative, curious, and knowledgeable, your mind sharpens, and develops to respond quickly, make better decisions, and multi-task.
Is exercising math good for the brain?
Yes, because you gain a greater ability to solve problems and stay focused.
The brain exercise that you practice today leads to a decrease in the deterioration of cognitive functions that occurs over time and with it the probability of suffering from Alzheimer’s. The benefits obtained in the improvement of your cerebral capacity are maintained through time. Your life is easier. You’ll have fewer difficulties in your daily tasks.
Does learning hurt your brain?
No, however, the more active the learning process, the better your understanding and memory will be. It feels exhausting, not exactly fluid or fun, and maybe even “bad”, depending on who you ask. But just as you need hard training to improve your fitness, learning must feel exhausting to keep up.
In this guide, we answered the question “Does math improve brain function?” and the most common questions about whether math helps with brain learning and which part of the brain works best with math.
So, are these topics interesting?
If you have any questions or comments, please let us know.
References
Bellis, R. (2018, April 30). No Pain, No Brain Gain: Why Learning Demands (A Little) Discomfort. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from Fast Company website: https://www.fastcompany.com/40560075/no-pain-no-brain-gain-why-learning-demands-a-little-discomfort
Hemispheres | Left & Right Hemispheres Roles, Facts & Information. (2019, September 24). Retrieved September 30, 2020, from Brain, Made Simple website: https://brainmadesimple.com/left-and-right-hemispheres/
How math develops brain muscles, especially for young children – ALOHA Mind Math. (2018, September 29). Retrieved September 30, 2020, from ALOHA Mind Math website: https://alohamindmath.com/how-math-develops-brain-muscles-especially-for-young-children/
How Studying Mathematics and Science Rewires Your Brain in Amazing Ways | iAchieve LEARNING. (2017, April 13). Retrieved September 30, 2020, from iAchieve LEARNING website: https://iachievelearning.com/2017/04/how-studying-mathematics-and-science-rewires-your-brain-in-amazing-ways/#:~:text=Mathematics%20enhances%20your%20analytical%20and,promotes%20cautious%20and%20careful%20thinking.
