Discontented with division?

Enjoy this column by Steven Strogatz titled Division and Its Discontents.

Division "is the place where many students hit the mathematical wall", he says. Division is mathematically the operation that gives us FRACTIONS... because not everything divides evenly. If you try to divide 9 by 4, you will end up with a fractional part in your final answer.

Strogatz takes us through a few short stories, and in the end shows us some astonishing facts concerning decimals, which make it seem that everything is turning topsy-turvy! Enjoyable piece for adults and your middle and high school students alike. :)

If you'd like more, this piece is actually a part of a series of columns on the Elements of Math:


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