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Edward Frenkel: Let’s Stop Hating Math | Big Think

Big Think | January 29, 2026



Edward Frenkel: Let’s Stop Hating Math
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Mathematician Edward Frenkel knows why so many people hate mathematics. It’s simple really: the way math is taught is so draconian and ineffective that students can’t help but fear it. But Frenkel believes that someday we can bring the world of equations and algorithms back down to a place of popular understanding.
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Edward Frenkel:

Edward Frenkel is a mathematician working in representation theory, algebraic geometry, and mathematical physics. Born in the Soviet Union, Frenkel first came to Harvard University as a visiting professor at the age of 21. He earned his Ph.D in only a year. Frenkel was a Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows from 1991 to 1994, and served as an associate professor at Harvard from 1994 to 1997. He has been a professor of mathematics at University of California, Berkeley since 1997. His best-selling memoir Love and Math was released to great acclaim in 2013. He has since been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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TRANSCRIPT:

Edward Frenkel: What is it that distinguishes us from, you know, cavemen? I would say it’s the level of abstraction that we can reach. And, you know, to give a simple example, it used to be that there was barter trading so you would exchange, you know, wheat for meat or something like this. But then eventually there was an abstract idea, the idea of money. You know, it’s like a piece of paper but this piece of paper actually signifies a certain value and you can exchange it for goods and services. So that’s the next level of abstraction. But now we are dealing with an even higher level of abstraction because I don’t actually see money that much. I see a piece of plastic, credit cards. I swipe my credit card.

So suddenly that’s the next level of abstraction. So this credit card somehow has become this abstract entity which carries money — which itself carries certain wealth, right. And now we’re going even deeper. Now money could be nothing but a line of code which appears in a Bitcoin ledger. So that’s the kind of progression, that’s the kind of, you know, evolution that I’m talking about. Evolution of abstraction. And so abstraction is king in this brave new world and the key to abstraction is mathematics.

And I do believe that we will have a better freer society when we have less math ignorance and we have more understanding of mathematics. And, of course, I’m not saying that everyone should become a mathematician. On the contrary.

But what I would — what I dream of is a society in which if mathematics is brought up people don’t run away from it — don’t say, “Oh my gosh, this is terrible. I hate mathematics. I don’t want to talk about it. I’m scared. I’m frightened.” And I understand why people are scared and frightened. It’s not their fault. It’s because of how mathematics is taught in our schools. But it’s a very unfortunate situation when you can’t even begin a conversation about mathematics without people saying, “Oh my gosh. I don’t want to talk about it.” And it’s kind of strange because no one would ever say, “I hate literature” or “I hate art” or “I hate music.” At least intelligent people would never say that. It’s kind of shameful to say that.

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Comments

This post currently has 38 comments.

  5. @melo-u9o

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    I still remember being scared of my 1st-grade math teacher. She had a stick and would hit students who gave the wrong answers to her multiplication questions. She started questions from the first row and continued to the last and beat everyone who gave an in correct answer. I already knew I can't answer her question with the limited seconds so i would just stick out my right hand for her to hit 😂 and to this day i hate maths and i can't do much of basic multiplication on my head

  6. @avinkon

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    Love Edward Frenkel , Nomatter how one feels about mathematics if trained or mentored under legend like Edward Frenkel would certainly Love and Die for Math given his way of explaining and making sense of ideas ,..Love him from bottom of my heart wish to see this Legend one day in person 🤩

  8. @johnaltemueller5770

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    Math taught me how to fail. A lot. Never comprehended it, like I had a learning disability or something. So I concentrated on the things I could master, English, history , etc and some arithmetic and how to use software. I'm 72 now and never used algebra or calculus, never got that far, but I managed to carve out a successful life without them. All the best to those who like and can master mathematics. Most of us never will.

  9. @xavierkreiss8394

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    Dr Frankel doesn't seem to understand maths phobia.
    Yes it's perfectly acceptable to say "I hate maths" but not to say "I hate literature, or art or music". Very few people have a "blockage" when it comes to those subjects, in part because maths is a subject apart, that has nothing in common with the others. It's a system of reasoning. 
    Among all the subjects studied at school maths is the one that is hated by the biggest group of people – there have been surveys. Why?
    When I hear someone talk of maths when I have the opportunity I will say that I am maths phobic. I've met several people just like me, by the way.
    But yes, quite a few scientific subjects interest me. So I once asked a friend who loves maths to help. She started out confidently, we exchanged messages, emails etc. After about a month of exchanges, she gave up, saying she wanted to help me but couldn't because she didn't understand how my mind worked. I said that the feeling was reciprocal. So there was a mutual incomprehension. We're still good friends!
    Anne Siéty, a French educational psychologist, has been researching this phobie for years. One of the people she interviewed on the subject told her that when confronted with maths, his mind "went blank". I know exactly how he feels. 
    Do Dr Frankel ,and others like him, know? This is what worries me: when speaking of this problem and ways (perhaps) of dealing with it, all the solutions I've seen suggested were from people who are good, or even very good, at maths and their explanations, to me, were incomprehensible. Have they ever experienced this "blank"? How do they know what goes on in my head"? And if they don't know, how can they make any difference?

  11. @jaredhowell7104

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    Never liked math. I got as far as trig. I don't think you need more than that unless your field requires it. The average person probably doesn't need more that algebra.

  15. @anthonybirmingham717

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    Who cares about math you don’t get credit and we go home and do more work the the fuck is the point I’m not doing that shit you teachers can fuck off we have technology to use so we don’t need you so go away and leave us kids alone you sons of a bitch

  23. @walkingbarefoot2

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    nobody hates math naturally.

    A baby comes to life with curiosity and creativity and its time for him to go to school. There the teachers are not learned how to teach, they dont know how to make students love math, they think its necessary for students to remember all the stuff and jam there head with a ton information, what will a student think about this?

    First, he feel passive, second, and then they hate it which is the biggest failure of teaching.

    In that situation kids can handle and understand it only if they have a well trained mindset, emotional controlling skills and dont judge them for not having a good mindset, because they are just kids,school never teaches them about lifeskills, you make them hate the subject and they have no idea what to do. And there are so many things more wrong with school

    A kid has a lot of potentials and interest and now making him hate all of the things that hes interested about is destroying his life

  24. @dagkouta986

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    I'm gonna start with the following premise: I'm about to finish my physics major and math minor, so it's pretty hard for me to be impartial…
    1) Alright, so first off, it's not the students who we should blame, but the TEACHERS and the EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. I mean, students hate math and pretty much give up on it because the teachers can't get them excited and interested in the subject. That's mainly because they teach the what's, but never the why's or the how's…
    Let me explain. To really grasp mathematics, just learning the formulas and that stuff is useless, and most of the time counter-productive. Too many formulas, and no way to memorize them, JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T TEACH WHY THEY WORK OR HOW THEY WORK. If you knew why something works. it's easier to learn it… Not only that, most students don't need to learn the math taught after 6-7th grade (really depends on the syllabus). So why do we keep teaching even harder material that will be absolutely useless to them? Can't we instead show them the more beautiful aspects of maths based on their acquired knowledge? I mean believe it or not quantum mechanics can be taught at a 5th grade level (BTW quantum mechanics is usually a senior year course at university). So if such little children can understand something so advanced yet eye-opening, then why can't we get them excited when they're young in the sciences, and then teach them the whats in high school and university?
    What I'm trying to say is that we should concentrate less on the formulas and on the problems and more on the concepts, because that's where the beauty of mathematics lies…

    2) Maths is important for you. Most top 50 jobs are in the scientific field, and therefore require a Bachelors Degree in Science. Furthermore, to get into a good university and therefore get a good job, you need good grades, especially in maths. You might be asking yourself: well why do university's want good grades in maths? That's because maths shows mental flexibility and the ability to think critically and rationally.

    3) Math's isn't stupid nor pointless. You may never use it in your life, but that makes it only useless and stupid TO YOU, and not in general. You should be grateful for maths, because without it, the device you used to record this video wouldn't exist, all the electronics used in medicine wouldn't exist, virtually everything around you, would either not exist or be very primitive. IF MATHS STOPPED EXISTING, WE WOULD BECOME CAVEMEN.

  28. @korereviews8088

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    I blame math teachers for the fact that most people hate math. I was traumatized by math teachers in high school who belittled me for struggling with math. Even the nice ones had no idea how to teach math to people who aren't naturals. The problem is that math teachers are always people who always found math easy, so when it comes to trying to explain math to non-prodigies (the vast majority of people), they have nothing to offer and usually assume that we're just not trying. I would love to be better at math, but need to have it explained in a way that makes sense to me as a person who excels at languages and arts disciplines.

  29. @deeas6518

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    When I was in high school, my teachers told me I should study math & that math would very useful in life. THEY LIED! Math is useful to maybe 3% of the population (most of those will be math teachers). Math should be dropped as a required subject and offered as an elective, along with latin, music, etc

  30. @waneagony

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    Edward mentioned that we teach maths in a bad way in schools today. I agree. But what ways are better? Is there a better way to teach maths and if there is what way (ways) is that?

  32. @alexrazza2662

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    I think the key reason why now days people hate in math is that of how we live in a age of distractions. With that it would lead many people not committed towards learning math. This is big problem especially how schools teach math this days.

  34. @newtonrhapson1453

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    Noo. Let many people keep hating math
    Many job required understanding in Math like Engineering, Programer, Even majority of Stock Market and Bank employee was held more by mathematician Master and PhD instead pure economist.

    I can get multiple job (currently Reservoir Engineer and Stock Market Forecaster) because Not so many people have this skill.

  37. @UltimateReaperStudio

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    I don't 'hate math I hate that I can't understand it. The human brain is more quantum in it's functions than it is logical and linear. A calculator does easy what we must struggle through. Clearly it's the hardware.

  38. @manayeager1384

    January 29, 2026 at 4:06 am

    I wish to understand algebra, algorithm, calculus, geometry, trigonometry, and basically all kind of mathematics. It's going to be a national exams in April next year for senior year and I'm still banging my head every time I try to understand Algebra…Uhhh. How am I going to university at this rate??

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