What is Add, Subtract, Multiply and Divide

Mathematics is a discipline scientific that in many occasions is difficult to understand due to its complexity and its abstract dimension. However, basic arithmetic operations are known to the vast majority of people. population.

Those people who do not know the fundamental rules of calculation have a big problem, because without this knowledge it is impossible to face all kinds of situations in daily life.

Add, subtract, multiply and divide

The addition consists of joining two or more numbers of the same sign in a single digit. To calculate the operation between the different numbers, the + sign is used and the final result is preceded by the = sign. In this way, 3 + 2 = 5 and 4 + 3 + 7 = 14. It is a simple calculation that the mind can perform quickly and intuitively. To add higher amounts it is possible to use some support procedure, such as the abacus or the calculator.

By adding we can join, group or put things together.

The inverse operation to addition is subtraction and is represented by the sign -. If instead of grouping two quantities we want to know the resulting quantity by subtracting a number from a larger one, we are doing a subtraction. If we have 15 pencils and we give away 3, we will finally keep 12 pencils and we will express it mathematically as follows: 15-3 = 12.

Multiplying is a way of adding but in an abbreviated way. The characteristic sign of this operation is x. So 3x4 is the same as saying 3 + 3 + 3 + 3. To exercise this type of operations, most schoolchildren around the world are familiar with the famous multiplication tables.

Just as subtraction is the inverse operation of addition, division is the inverse operation of division. In other words, dividing is equivalent to dividing or distributing something equally.

The sign ":" is the characteristic of this operation. If I have 6 candies and I want to distribute them among 3 friends, the final result will be 2 (6: 3 = 2).

Primitive men and arithmetic

The geometry, algebra and trigonometry are areas of knowledge after the arithmetic basic. The primitive peoples of thousands of years ago already made simple calculations related to their natural environment.

Anthropologists consider that the numerical capacity of the first homo sapiens it was very rudimentary, but effective enough to understand basic ideas related to adding and subtracting things.

The great qualitative leap came when abstract numbers replaced real things.

Some animals have the ability to perform simple calculations

All kinds of experiments have been done on the ability of animals to perform certain basic operations.

Some birds and mammals can comprise different amounts of elements. However, the language symbolic of the math it is unique to human beings.