HOW TO LEARN MATH.

HOW TO LEARN MATH. In OUTLIERS, Malcolm Gladwell proposes the “10,000-Hour Rule” and describes how many achievements have been made by people who have devoted 10,000 hours to their subject. Examples he gives include the Beatles (appearances in Hamburg) and Bill Gates (programming). I think there is a corollary to this rule. After all, the rule is a version of “practice makes perfect.” I have long believed that when people say, “I can’t do math,” it often results from giving up too soon. People readily accept that practice leads to success in sports. A young musician does not expect to achieve mastery immediately. Because of the prevalence in our culture of the belief that math is different from other subjects, students often give up on math when they first encounter something they don’t understand quickly. If ten thousand hours can make you world class, a few dozen hours can make a huge difference. Gladwell reaches the same conclusion: “We sometimes think of being good at mathematics as an innate ability. You either have”it” or you don’t.” Gladwell argues it’s a matter of attitude: “You master mathematics if you are willing to try.”