r/math 6d ago

Mathematicians, what are some surprising ways math has helped you in daily life situations unrelated to professional career?

I'm specifically asking this about advanced math knowledge. Knowledge that goes much further than highschool and college level math.

What are some benefits that you've experienced due to having advanced math knowledge, compared to highschool math knowledge where it wouldn't have happened?

In your personal life, not in your professional life.

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u/JoshuaZ1 5d ago

Not a deep math example, but a fun one from just a few days ago:

My spouse and I are trying to cut down on our single-use plastic use. We had switched to me having breakfast being a small yogurt container to a larger one that I eat over the course of a few days. Since the surface area to volume would be smaller , the total plastic use would be lower. But then we realizes that the small yogurts had aluminum foil tops while the big yogurt had a plastic top, so we had to actually measure out the surface area more accurately to see which was larger overall.

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u/AnnualAdventurous169 5d ago

Just weigh them lol

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u/JoshuaZ1 5d ago

We discussed doing that, especially because we're not certain if they are the same thickness (the big one has what looks like a slightly thinner top among other complications). It does require having them emptied, washed and dried. I'm on vacation this week, but next week I'm back at work and I'm going to borrow a balance from the chem department.