Thread by @taejinception

mathematik by lindemann as interpreted by math-majoring fan: a thread

why is algebra a central figure in both the song and the mv? maths is a linear subject, it starts with a strong foundation and new skills build upon each other. without mastering the basics, it'll be hard for a student to move on to more complicated and challenging materials.¹

algebra, substituting numbers with letters, is the building block for higher maths concepts. without a full understanding of algebra, one would struggle understanding other branches of maths like geometry, trigonometry, and calculus.

there's an irony in how the lyrics keep repeating that "algebra isn't important at all" while she's the one with the most real life significance. we use more algebra than any other branch of mathematics to the point that we didn't even realise it.

for example, we make use of algebra to calculate the time required for us to reach the office in time after we overslept. or when we try to re-scale a recipe based on the amount of ingredients we have. she'd also provided the essential skills used in fields such as engineering.

sadly, the way maths is taught at school doesn't show this. a more theoretical approach detaches the subject from real life. a greater emphasis is placed on exams instead, where, as described, the teacher rubs her hands while the students are suffering.

this leads to a toxic environment of pressure and competition that doesn't facilitate a sense of curiosity while breeding contempt for fellow peers (high-achieving know-it-alls) and the subject itself. if you're forced to study like a machine, there's no room for humanly love.

according to the book 'a mind for numbers', maths is best taught as a mix of theory and practice where information is given in small bites before being connected to solve problems in the world around us. this reduces stress by helping us absorb complex ideas more efficiently.²

the tragic figure of the song is the student, who though is self-described as lazy, had a slight interest in the more practical part of maths such as business (street maths), but it's not nurtured. instead, he took the instantly gratifying, but damning path of drug dealing.

the song isn't glorifying this kind of lifestyle, in fact, it was presented as a hellish circle: an improper way of teaching and a toxic learning environment leads to disinterest, and disinterest leads to students taking an anti-intellectual stance that will destroy them.³

the toxic learning environment in the lyrics was portrayed allegorically in the mv. the lyrics mentioned that aspiring students should gather "in the maths-circle", and there they are, all clad in uniform white. the ruthless competition among them became a massive fistfight.

here, algebra is a prostitute, a subject paid by students through tuition fees in exchange for knowledge. she's an adult worker dressed like a school girl, advanced mathematical concepts simplified to a level more fitting for children to learn at school.

the figure of algebra haunts the places where she's needed in real life: calculating money, shopping for high-end brands. with a scale in her hands, she balances equations across multiple disciplines, ranging from chemistry to accounting.

and like a valkyrie she walks over the fallen students, the victims of the ruthless education system that had failed them, smiling, playing the ominous tune that followed them from preschool until the their very end.

but the protagonists rebelled against this system, they wore black when others wore white. they threw middle fingers and sexual gestures to the air. the two refused to take part in the bloody violence, they almost fought each other but that's it. they no longer cared.

finally, one of them managed to escape the system. fuck maths, figuratively and literally.

citations:
¹ sectutoring.com, algebra, the basic building block to higher mathematics
² barbara oakley (2014), a mind for numbers: how to excel at maths and science even if you flunked algebra
³ r. z. eliaz (2010), anti-intellectual attitudes and academic self-efficacy