Do you believe that chinese are naturally good in math?

[gold_inhinhiero]

Have you ever heard someone say, "Ok, Chinese yan, magaling sa math.."

Wala lang ang dami kasing ganun, so since Academe naman ito, nagisip kong magstart ng thread na ganito..

Well, although most of them are good businessmen (Business is money and money is math), Do you agree that we can conclude immediately that most of them are good in that field?

:)

[feldsparring]

baka nga mas bagay ito dun sa buhay pinoy section. but as an answer:

let's start with business. well, obviously not ALL chinese are good in business. but a great portion of the immigrants here and elsewhere have been successful etrepreneurs (but then maybe this is a trend in immigrants: to work harder because you're not in your homeland. kinda like the asians in the US, and before them, the Jews [in a land of WASPs]). and the locals get the notion that maybe being shrewd with money comes with their culture, which isn't entirely true.

as for the Math aspect, i think maybe it's an act of self-preservation. a good way to impart good business practices to the next generation woud be via education. build good schools which have strengths in what you value (math, the sciences, and of course culture), and you'll feel safer that everything you've built and founded won't be wasted in the next generation.

these may seem as generalizations, but they do have actual roots in cultural anthropology. a sub-culture (in the form of immigrants) is likely to exhibit stronger tendencies for cultural and self preservation. of course, this may not always be the case. (notice how some pinoys, upon entering the US, just try to shed off their brown skins and accents, and become almost instantly even more american than average members of that starbucks-flocking people. but then again, in many ways, we are a cultural anomaly. haha)

[flsfnoeraekadad]

Have you ever heard someone say, "Ok, Chinese yan, magaling sa math.."

Wala lang ang dami kasing ganun, so since Academe naman ito, nagisip kong magstart ng thread na ganito..

Well, although most of them are good businessmen (Business is money and money is math), Do you agree that we can conclude immediately that most of them are good in that field?

:)
Oo, naniniwala ako. Halos lahat ng Chinese na kilala ko magaling sa Math. Grabe sila. Hahaha. *** iba kong blockmates and co-double majors [3 kasi ang Economics double major blocks sa school] na kilala ko, pineperpek lang ang Math. 4.0! Nakakamangha! :lol:

[mac_bolan00]

back in UP and here in our bank... no comment. :bashful:

[flsfnoeraekadad]

back in UP and here in our bank... no comment. :bashful:
whaaaaaaaaaaay? :lol:

[Bazooka_Joe]

i'm chinese, but i'm no good at math.
pero madami akong pinsan na engineers and business management/accounting grads. :D

:blowsmoke:

[reflexive2005]

That is the general perception but in reality God distributes the gift to all nationalities.I know a lot of Pinoys who are good in math and some Chinese here in the US that are weak in Math. Notice ko lang in World Math Olympiad the Chinese best dominates it but the best Americans can fight them toe to toe. Japan and India sometimes had good rep too. For the Philippines we are on the almost bottom . Why? We are sending 15-16 year old senior in High School.They are sending 18-19 years old seniors.

[Dacs]

I dunno, but I noticed that when I was joining MTAP math contests way back in my elementary days, puro Chinese mga kalaban ko.

[you101]

i studied in a chinese school during elementary and high school. based on my experience, lahat ng kilala kong chinese magaling s math. s college, kahit *** average level n classmates ko nung high school ay matataas *** grdaes. i think mas maganda lang ang math curriculum. nalala ko p noon n mas mahirap and mas advance p ang lessons ng chinese math s english math. baka dahil s dalawang math subjects kaya nhasa *** mga students.

[tophe_17]

Not all.



*pexadik*

[la_flash]

Marami sa mga chinese ang magaling sa math... but not all...

[whistling hyde]

Not all Chinese are good in math, however, it's pretty obvious that generally, they are (unsually) better. What I'm wondering about is whether this is mathematical inclination is because of nature (genetics, the way part of brain is structured, etc.) or their culture/society simply built them to be so (i.e., taught since they were young, parents expectations,etc.). :mconfused:

[silkysmooth]

mas masipag lang talaga sila.

[GR8_GUY]

I don't think Chinese are genetically better in math than any other nationality. Their early exposure to math and better math curricula in Chinese schools give them the advantage.

[paparagon]

mas masipag lang ang mga chinese kaysa sa mga pilipino- un lang un.

[arigatu]

Generally speaking, parehas lang ang lahat....nasa development iyan from the moment the two cells combine...

Kung naturally good in math ang mga chinese, eh bakit mali ang sukli sa akin nung intsik? :lol:

[aldritz]

lol, i do know of some chinese who find math difficult (but they excel in English).

[luckygohappy]

no. i do not believe in that line. but there is some truth to it.

as we all know, math is 99% hardwork and 1% genius (this 1% genius makes all the difference)

as we all know, chinese high schools have this 99% hardwork instilled into their students as part of their curriculum/trust/whatever you call it.

now, 'real math' is not the calculus trigonometry and algebra... that's just 'basic math.'

this is where the 1% genius comes in. there only a chosen few who can comprehend those 'higher mathematics' (differential equations, actuarial math, etc).

this is my opinion based on experience.

[GR8_GUY]

Kung naturally good in math ang mga chinese, eh bakit mali ang sukli sa akin nung intsik? :lol:

Hey, the math wizard didn't do it on purpose! ;) It was just one of his selective mathematical lapses! :lol:

[flsfnoeraekadad]

Hey, the math wizard didn't do it on purpose! ;) It was just one of his selective mathematical lapses! :lol:
Baka sinasadya nya :lol:

[Altwegg]

Hindi lahat kasi yung ibang Chinese nilalampaso ng pure Filipino sa Math eh.

[neoreo09]

all of my chinese classmates here dropped math mathods 3 & 4. they find the equations really hard as if it was a different language. i, sadly, dropped maths methods too three weeks before the big last test. :hehe:

[neoreo09]

all of my chinese classmates here dropped math mathods 3 & 4. they find the equations really hard as if it was a different language. i, sadly, dropped maths methods too three weeks before the big last test. :hehe:

[shnicky]

We could see more Chinese students good in math because of their curriculum. They have 2 subjects in Math but different in language. Those are English and Mandarin. In terms of skill, mas lamang sila. That is why we could see more chinese who perform better here in the Phils. But we cannot generalize that chinese are good in math. Nasa pagsasanay lang talaga. They even sing the multiplication table in Mandarin. :)

[reality_STRUCKS]

i am not chinese but i am very good in math. just asked my profs at UST.

so this myth is BUSTED!

[ziggyboy]

If you mean Chinese as a race then no, I think all races are equally gifted. But the Chinese as a culture, especially the ones from China then yes. In my opinion they work harder than Filipinos. I finished my bachelors degree here in Australia and about 20% of CS students here are international students from China. They finished high school in China and decided to do their degree here....so I've had the chance to compare them to me.

What I've realised is that high schools in the Philippines generally suck compared to most other Asian countries. My Chinese friends and I did first year calculus together and while half of the material wasn't discussed in my high school (De La Salle Zobel), they said high school calculus in China is harder than first year university calculus in Australia.

You might say that we also have excellent high schools in the Philippines, true, but they probably account for less than 10% of our high schools. It is also not mandatory for our high school graduates to know calculus that is why university calcuclus (UP ka man, Ateneo or La Salle) does not expect previous knowledge of calculus. That's why everyone starts from College Algebra, then Trigonometry/Geometry, then Calculus.

To answer the original post, I think it's because the Chinese are more hardworking and persistent than Filipinos. Those who finished high school in China are probably the best in Maths everywhere. They're probably better than the Americans that Filipinos love to glorify. On a side note, a former teacher of mine who now teaches in the US say that high school students there are imbeciles.

And if you guys forgot, a Chinese university, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, won first place in the ACM international programming contest:

http://icpc.baylor.edu/past/default.htm

[la_flash]

If you mean Chinese as a race then no, I think all races are equally gifted. But the Chinese as a culture, especially the ones from China then yes. In my opinion they work harder than Filipinos. I finished my bachelors degree here in Australia and about 20% of CS students here are international students from China. They finished high school in China and decided to do their degree here....so I've had the chance to compare them to me.

What I've realised is that high schools in the Philippines generally suck compared to most other Asian countries. My Chinese friends and I did first year calculus together and while half of the material wasn't discussed in my high school (De La Salle Zobel), they said high school calculus in China is harder than first year university calculus in Australia.

You might say that we also have excellent high schools in the Philippines, true, but they probably account for less than 10% of our high schools. It is also not mandatory for our high school graduates to know calculus that is why university calcuclus (UP ka man, Ateneo or La Salle) does not expect previous knowledge of calculus. That's why everyone starts from College Algebra, then Trigonometry/Geometry, then Calculus.

To answer the original post, I think it's because the Chinese are more hardworking and persistent than Filipinos. Those who finished high school in China are probably the best in Maths everywhere. They're probably better than the Americans that Filipinos love to glorify. On a side note, a former teacher of mine who now teaches in the US say that high school students there are imbeciles.

And if you guys forgot, a Chinese university, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, won first place in the ACM international programming contest:

http://icpc.baylor.edu/past/default.htm

I would like to know if how many years do students in other countries need
to finish to enter college? Maybe because they spend more than 10years
in secondary and elementary education that they were taught higher
mathematics.

I think all science high schools have calculus and physics.

Some pilot public high schools I think also offer these subjects. Well,
I am not sure.

I had a chance to compete with the CHAN (I am not sure also of
the surname) cousins. One is from ATENEO... I think he is from
Chiang Kai Sheik. Well, we have not competed directly to each other.
I never had a chance since I didn't made it to the 3rd round.

But damn, these kids are good. hahaha...

The problems are damn hard and considering the time pressure, they
made it look like a piece of cake. hahaha...

Sometimes, I can't help to ask, what textbooks are they using? Hehehe..

[mo_sue]

ust the best in math! ahihihi!

[Myst]

i'm good in math and know kung-fu


...I MUST BE CHINESE!

[muddpie]

baka nga mas bagay ito dun sa buhay pinoy section. but as an answer:

let's start with business. well, obviously not ALL chinese are good in business. but a great portion of the immigrants here and elsewhere have been successful etrepreneurs (but then maybe this is a trend in immigrants: to work harder because you're not in your homeland.

Pansin ko lang, usually first generation kadalasan ang magagaling sa business. Pagdating sa second, thrid, fourth generation, nawala na yung entrepreneurial drive nila.

[muddpie]

That is the general perception but in reality God distributes the gift to all nationalities.I know a lot of Pinoys who are good in math and some Chinese here in the US that are weak in Math. Notice ko lang in World Math Olympiad the Chinese best dominates it but the best Americans can fight them toe to toe. Japan and India sometimes had good rep too. For the Philippines we are on the almost bottom . Why? We are sending 15-16 year old senior in High School.They are sending 18-19 years old seniors.

Kasi bibihira ang 18-19 senior dito sa Pilipinas; kapag 17 ka na, freshman.

[muddpie]

Oo, naniniwala ako. Halos lahat ng Chinese na kilala ko magaling sa Math. Grabe sila. Hahaha. *** iba kong blockmates and co-double majors [3 kasi ang Economics double major blocks sa school] na kilala ko, pineperpek lang ang Math. 4.0! Nakakamangha! :lol:

Ako naman karamihan ng mga Koreano na kilala ko magaling sa Math; on the other hand mahina ang language comprehension.

[DJQuimby]

Duda ko lagi silang may dalang abacus....

[reighun]

they became merchants and traders in the old time, naturally, pala di lugi dapat runong tayo kwenta pela, pala wa plolema.

no offense to our chinese friends.

[kungpow]

Yeah reighun, you showed how classy you are with your pathetic chinese impersonation. I bet I can speak the Filipino and English language better than you can.

Wait wait, this is the second paragraph. So this is the part where I can say "Peace" and expect that you not get offended or anything. So "no offense to reighun, my dear friend" and "Peace".

Anyway, to answer the question, no, Chinese aren't generally better in math. However, in my experience dealing with both Chinese and Filipinos, I have observed that the good Chinese mathematicians understand math (including calculus, differential equations etc.) in a different way from how good Filipino mathematicians do. The Chinese mathematicians tend to show clearer, shorter and more concise solutions for some reason. They also teach the basic operations (addition, subtraction, division and multiplication) in a much more different light. I don't know why, but I'm not suggesting that they are more intelligent.

[adonis827]

i only have a chinese surname but i can say that i am decent in math.

[mac_bolan00]

as far as i know, the best physicists are either american, british, and a scattering in western europe and russia. mostly caucasians.

i am more inclined to belive that the hindus are naturally good in math.

[Gospel of Judas]

as far as i know, the best physicists are either american, british, and a scattering in western europe and russia. mostly caucasians.

i am more inclined to belive that the hindus are naturally good in math.
How about the Arabics? :lol:

[mac_bolan00]

as far as i know, the best physicists are either american, british, and a scattering in western europe and russia. mostly caucasians.

i am more inclined to belive that the hindus are naturally good in math.
i took a second look at my post and i can't believe i slipped that many times.

declining proficiency alright! :lol:

[god_of_all]

hmmmm... i dont think so.

pero nung high school, it was pretty obvious na malupit talaga ang training ng chinese schools pag dating sa math. and were not even talking in a competitive level of training. their pool of possible contestants is really deep.

siguro dun natatalo ang Pinoy. one: mali ang mindset ng mga Pinoy about Math. simula pa lang, kinatatakutan na. di katulad ng mga Chinese. they embrace it, as its a part of their culture almost. and two: karamihan, walang tiyaga. yung cliche na Practice makes Perfect, totoo naman talaga yun eh.

*pero grabe talaga nung PMO nung high school, yung isang Chinese girl from IS na nakatabi ko sa elims, nakita ko yung scratch paper niya, parang less than 15% lang yata ang may sulat. nakakamangha! hahahaha...*

[cashwriters]

Hmmmm very interesting question. Overseas Chinese have historically been a "middleman" culture where they fill certain historical merchant/financial roles. Very similar to Jews in Europe. Hence, like Jews they've gravitated towards a higher appreciation of mathematics. See: http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/culture/features/1478/

It's not surprising given the need to be "good at numbers" if you're a merchant or a lender. This fact does not necessarily mean that such mathematical or related business prowess springs necessarily from a genetic source. It is more of a cultural choice borne by economic demands and historical pressures.

More info on "middleman minorities":http://www.hooverdigest.org/053/sowell.html and http://reason.com/9605/Dept.Bk.MillerSOWELL.shtml

[twinky togs]

im chinese pero di ako magaling sa math, average lang. some of my chinese friends are good in math, and some are terrible. hihi

[twinky togs]

im chinese pero di ako magaling sa math, average lang. some of my chinese friends are good in math, and some are terrible. hihi