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How useful is mental math?

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:11 pm
by InquilineKea
Since we're not allowed to use a calculator.

I know that you can answer that by going through a practice test, but I'm not going to open up any practice tests yet (while I'm still solidifying my fundamentals)

Re: How useful is mental math?

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 4:51 pm
by HappyQuark
Very useful.

Re: How useful is mental math?

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 5:47 pm
by InquilineKea
Okay. So (for anyone who wishes to answer), what types of mental math do a significant fraction of GRE-takers miss out on - that could help them on the test?

Thanks!

Re: How useful is mental math?

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:33 pm
by WhoaNonstop
InquilineKea wrote:Okay. So (for anyone who wishes to answer), what types of mental math do a significant fraction of GRE-takers miss out on - that could help them on the test?

Thanks!
Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division

-Riley

Re: How useful is mental math?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 9:56 am
by gertrude616
I think mental arithmetic may have some limited uses, e.g: card games and tricks, but in higher mathematics it helps in solving long involved computations. For example when dealing with astronomical quantities where approximations are useful the actual values wqill probably expressed as powers of ten, but the mental arithmetic will tell you if you're in the right ball park, versus by an exponential amount. ADS Press