Math has been around since the beginning of civilization when prehistoric men counted animals in herds. Most of the basic components of math, such as addition, subtraction and division, gradually appeared over time without recognition of who discovered them. Archeological evidence suggests that ancient men kept records as much as 11,000 years ago.
Most of the problems people have learning math are classified under the broad spectrum of a learning disorder. Common problems include understanding more complex math problems but not being able to memorize the basic multiplication table. On a related concept, some students also have difficulty acknowledging operational signs and using them properly.
A fear of math, or a low confidence in a person's math abilities, often causes more problems than a learning disorder or a deficiency in intelligence. Teachers often perform the necessary steps to solve math problems for this type of student rather than instructing them how to solve the problem. This can lead to the enforcement of passive learning in a student with low confidence. They might recognize the solution to one problem without gaining the knowledge to solve the same problem with different numbers.
Teachers often do not instruct on a mathematical concept long enough for students' mastery of the topic. The National Council on Teaching Mathematics considers mastering a concept as having 100 percent accuracy for three consecutive days. High scores on tests do not infer a mastery of the subject, because the student could easily fail or forget the material the next day.
Problems learning math can severely limit a person's everyday functioning as an adult. Basic math helps people to create budgets and calculate interest rates to minimize the cost of a loan. Math is also essential in many jobs such as carpentry and accounting.