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Real-World Problems Being Solved By Mathematicians

Real World Problems- Uses of Math

High school students often ask about mathematics “When will we ever use this in the real world?”.

In fact, researchers in mathematics and computer science are making new discoveries all the time. These discoveries are being applied in some surprising contexts - in industry, finance, medicine, the environment, and the justice system, to name just a few. Modern mathematicians don't just work in isolation - they collaborate with doctors, environmental scientists, lawyers, engineers and experts in many other fields on applications that are changing the world in powerful ways.

 

When?

Examples

Explore some real-world problems being solved by mathematicians. For each real-world problem, try your hand at a related mathematical problem. These problems are designed to be accessible to students in grades 7-8 and later. Solutions are provided.

Control Disease
Protect Privacy
More Effective Surgery and Chemotherapy
Digital Imaging
Provide Clean Water
Find Kidney Donors
Tsunami Warning Systems
Music

Poster and Careers Flyer

Real World Application Flyer

A PDF document highlighting these real-world applications of mathematics is available for download.

Outreach Flyer with math problems

 

Images from Wikimedia Commons