Who has aspergers/autism here, who are good/bad at maths?

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I get what you are saying. The answers are only correct and incorrect with certain constraints. I had a feeling that this was the truth but you guys have confirmed it. This means one can choose to define division with greater and greater supersets. It is just that in school they just choose to define division with a certain set and you can't go into the greater superset. It's the same thing with addition, subtraction and multiplication. In fact, you don't even have to use the same base. You can use base 2 for instance. In fact, you could define rules for having a negative base if desired. Another example, is riemann geometry. A horse's saddle is considered a flat surface but not a level surface. The only the angels equal 180 degrees on a triangle is when they are on a flat and level surface.

You guys were able to break this stuff down to me in a way I could understand.

I think from the perspective of logic, it's reasonable to have reservations about operations that aren't universally defined in the domain of discourse. When you make a logical statement that contains the words "for all" or "there exists" you're referring to an implied domain of discourse. In arithmetic or high-school algebra the implied domain of discourse is usually the real numbers or the integers. When you say that x / 0 is undefined what you're really saying is that whatever x / 0 could be, it falls outside the domain of discourse.

For human beings this isn't much of a problem as it's usually easy enough to check whether a quantity could possibly be zero before dividing by it. In terms of formal logic or computer science that's less acceptable because it's more desirable to have a system where there are no exceptions to check. In this case it's better to have a special symbol for undefined so that you can literally say "x / 0 = undefined". Then whenever you make statements about real numbers you should technically say "for all real numbers" since "for all" alone would include the undefined symbol as well as the real numbers. Also, the output of any operation containing an "undefined" symbol must also be an "undefined" symbol. This is exactly how arithmetic operations are done by computers. In standard floating-point arithmetic on CPU chips, there are special bit configurations reserved for different forms of "undefined" numbers. This must be done on a computer because the physical circuits of a processing unit must always carry through a value no matter what the input.

I have Asperger's. I'm quite good a math. I'm very good at algerbra and at logic. However, I struggled with geometry due to all the different formulas. I never could grasp why we had to use a complicated forumla to figure out something we could figure out by using a tape messure or by counting. I've always recieved A's in algerbra. Geometry was my only C in high school. Anatomy was my only B. All my other grades were A's.

I am so bad at math I was also diagnosed with mathematics disorder. I have trouble with pretty much all concepts especially word problems. I wish I had been diagnosed with this as a child, I would have gotten a lot more math support. I have trouble interpreting numbers. I've just never understood math. I can't do physics either. I can do most math involved in chemistry though. I think it is because it's looking for a specific quantity of something and that makes more sense to me.

I am rather good with math. basic math. Not that Geometry/Calculus stuff.


I'm good at doing math in my head, but that kind of screwed me in high school when they wanted me to show the work. I couldn't! I was only good at doing math my way!

I have difficulty with math(I failed algebra in 9th grade, before that I barely passed my math classes), this forum and all the people on here talking about how they are also weak when it comes to math skills makes me feel a lot better about my lacking skills.
It has been a while since I have had to use math skills, so I find it difficult answering your questions about the subject.
1.) What concepts of maths do you struggle with? Algebra, that's all I can think of, I really feel like I would be a lot better had my 9th grade math teacher and class not been a disaster for me. I am going to skip most of the questions
2.)Your problems with maths in general? My problem with math is that I never was really able to take it all in and learn it properly, I wished I had an algebra textbook or something like that to use and better my understanding of the subject.

I am currently waiting/hoping that I will be able to take advantage of the online math program that my school has available(only a certain number of people can use the program and I have to wait for it to be available). I have failed math not because I failed to understand it after learning it, but because I was never taught it in a way that really worked for me and stuck with me in the first place(I didn't pay attention very well either, it was enough to barely get by until 9th grade). I think that if I had better learning opportunities, I would understand math just fine, not that great but well enough to pass it.

I am good at math? I just don't love it... For instance, right now I'm in a 4U math class and I don't do any of the homework but I'm pulling an 85 in the class. I took it because I knew I could pass it without any effort (I'm a bit lazy). I used to be brilliant at math when I was younger and I still use the Fibonacci sequence to calm myself down during panic attacks.

Absolutely correct

clever...I like it

I'm rubbish at maths. It shows all through my school reports and also on my WAIS III results. I can't understand any but the most basic things.

I'm OK with shapes, adding, subtracting, easy multiplication and that's about it. I just can't get any of the concepts. I even struggled terribly with long multiplication at school. My brain is not geared at all towards understanding it.

I have a visual thinking style and I am very creative, good at English.

There's more than one way to be good at math. Some people have a good number sense and can easily perform calculations in their head and have trouble expressing the information in formulas. Other people can be good with formulas and need a calculator to do basic calculations.

1.) What concepts of maths do you struggle with?
I struggle memorising them

2.) What usually makes you get the wrong answer i.e. silly mistakes?
Memory and processing speed are so slow compared to average person

3.) Do you understand maths but have problems applying?
No, I can apply basic when I understand, its just that my working memory and numbers do not work together properly.
I can't "hold" the integers in my short term memory properly to apply concepts to them - so I have never been able to do a high level of maths


4.) Do you need the logic explained to understand?
Not more than an average student

5.) Can you understand how all logic apply in questions?
got to say the wording in this sentence has thrown me... either this is an american way of writing, or I am even more dyslexic than I know, because it doesn't make sense to me " all logic apply in questions ?"
someone please help me not obsess about this - what does this question mean, and is it written correctly?
Are you asking if I know that logic is consistently applied in maths? if this is the question, (surely not) isn't this a bit condescending?


6.) What usually throws you off?
Lack of good results, without calculator and pencil and paper.....
I think this would put most maths lovers off their maths, if they had to stop every time they manipulated one thing.... like me checking every letter when I write.... its so frustrating. I've tried ... 2 modules in stats at msc level, but my ability never progresses, despite a love of numbers.
and science.


7.) Your problems with maths in general?
Memory and processing speed. Never having reached a point of fluency in maths has meant that I haven't been able to develop my knowledge base.
I dont think I was taught maths properly - if someone could design a course in maths for people like me, with memory problems and non verbal dyslexia, I would be so happy.

I suspect this exercise may give me a headache, but I'll try to answer the questions anyway.

1.) What concepts of maths do you struggle with?

Multiplication, division and any form of math more advanced than those. Though I was okay at making graphs from written down x/y points which was taught later. Never learned algebra or per-algebra or geometry that I recall.

2.) What usually makes you get the wrong answer i.e. silly mistakes?

Miscounting when adding or subtracting and forgetting to carry numbers when multiplying. I use adding and multiply since I never learned the times tables very well.

For example:

24
X 9
----

start with 9 X 4. Which is 9 four times. So 9+9 + 18 and 18 is two 9 so 18 + 18(another 2 9s) = 36.

9 X 2 = 18.

The three goes over the 2 and is added to 18 to make 21.


24
X 9
----
216

Had to redo it because I forgot to carry the 3 from 36 the first time.

Calculator confirms the answer is 216.

3.) Do you understand maths but have problems applying?

I don't know. I know what adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing are. The Math beyond those four makes no sense to me.

I know that counting is numbering things to see how many of them there are. Adding is then you have a number of something and put more of the same with it and count the total afterward. Subtracting is removing a certain number of something (like eating pieces of candy is subtracting how many are eaten from how many where there before some where eaten). Multiplying is having groups with a number of things in each and then counting all the things in every group as one total. Dividing is like cutting pan of brownies up into pieces and passing a even number out to people, sometimes with a few remaining in the pan afterwards. Fractions are parts of a whole, but how they work is more complicated, but knowing them is useful since fractions are used all the time in cook books and I knowing how to divide a recipe into a single serving or manageable yield is useful. (like making only enough for one person or making only so many cookies that can fit in the cookie jar even if the recipe is written for larger amounts). I was taught a lot of math with food as a kid or through word problems which were hard. I love reading and am very good at it, but not at math. Mixing math with reading makes it harder for me. I'm not sure how. I've always been good at answer questions about things I've read, but if the question is math related and the answer is not in the passage, but something I have to figure out on my own I don't do so good.

4.) Do you need the logic explained to understand?

That's never helped in the past since the explanations didn't make sense either.

5.) Can you understand how all logic apply in questions?

No. I'm not sure what the question means either.

6.) What usually throws you off?

Generally having to multiply, divide, find percents, fractions, ........ nearly all of it pretty much.

7.) Your problems with maths in general?

Yes.


To answer another question I've seen in the thread. I'm female, good at reading, bad at math and spelling. My mother and sister are good at spelling. My father and brother are poor at it as am I. I can tell when something it misspelled, but I can't figure out usually how to spell it correctly and at times have used words that when asked what they mean I don't know, but I probably read it somewhere and for some reason it fit the thing I was saying. I often know that I used the word correctly, but not how to explain what it means. Also since I read silently to myself I have to figure out words as I come across them when reading without a sound guide, so when I use the word out loud later on I'm always told I'm saying it wrong though I'd been saying the word my way for years in head whenever I saw it printed.

I don't think I bother to sound words out when I read which may be the real issue nor do I pause my reading to look up what the words mean. And looking them up when they come up in conversation wouldn't help much as by that point the person I was talking to (usually my mother) wouldn't care anymore. I think people talk too fast. Or at least them seem to when they're talking to me and I can't keep up, but then again I usually have more to say than they do and they don't want to hear it most of the time. And most of the time I don't talk to people because I know they don't want to hear what I have to say and don't share my interests.

Sorry for the rant.

Last edited by EB on 22 Dec 2012, 12:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

this boggles my mind...easy minor? I had to drop out of PRE calculus because im bad with math. On the other hand my spelling and English skills are top notch. Funny as I am a male and you are a female. I'll admit I did get A's in most of my math classes, but that's pretty much because I rote memorized everything. I just don't understand the concepts. I had good teacher too, I just lack the ability. Funny thing is, with each new math class I had to relearn everything since all I did was rote memorize. I took algebra 1 in college and then 15 wks later when i was taking algebra 2 i had to relearn everything from algebra 1, and then 15 wks later during trigonometry I had to relearn everything. Finally after trig I got to precalc and we were expected to know everything easily and then to move on to harder stuff like logs and the number e.
didn't help my teacher was a prick for precalc. He apparently talked with my other teachers and apparently I only passed in their eyes because I harassed the teachers for extra help.
I just cant imagine linear algebra and number theory being easy. Did you take abstract algebra and topology??

I'm generally not good at math however my math tutor once pointed out that I was finding answers to things way faster than most people can. I believe he said something like do you have some sort of special natch for this sort of stuff, how are you doing this all in your head? I didn't think much of it at the time, if only I could remember what it was he was talking about i'm so curios. did anyone else experience something like this?

Math and I have been bad enemies from the start! If I have pen and paper and/or calculator I can add, subtract, multiply and divide. Anything beyond that is a TOTAL mystery. I can see patterns in the numbers, themselves. When I was in junior primary school I remember seeing a grid with numbers written in multiples of 10 and I sat amazed at the way the numbers seemed to 'fit in' together. But try and work out the logic behind algebra, worded problems etc and it is just a total maze to me.

I am the complete opposite with English though. I love spelling, (I think it is because I can see the patterns in groups of words) and I love reading. Ask me about reading comprehension though and I bomb out, not because I don't understand what I have read, but because I have trouble putting it all into words.

Maz