Ok, but for the vast majority of white-collar jobs in the finance industry, you will never have to factor a quadratic polynomial or use a trigonometric function, but almost every 4-year college graduate is expected to have studied algebra and trigonometry. Furthermore, the people who do use "advanced math", for example engineers, physical scientists, and financial quants, also need to know how to program. So I don't see why far more people should be expected to learn advanced math than to program, except that advanced math is well-entrenched as a filtering mechanism for entering high-paid professions.
Agreed. I have learned many things, even in my field, that do not pertain to my job on a day to day basis. For me, it comes down to these principles...
- There is value in the learning process, especially if it involves critical thinking.
- If you know MORE that what you need to know - then you know what you need to know.
- The only way to make sure you never use knowledge, is to never learn it.
