Well, another aspect is that there is so much information conveyed with a mathematical statement. Consider the distributive property: a (b+c) = ab + ac It's

Well, another aspect is that there is so much information conveyed with a mathematical statement. Consider the distributive property: a (b+c) = ab + ac It's quite simple but has some major consequences. These consequences aren't obvious either until someone acquires the skill at being able to understand what a formula really is saying. For instance, the distributive property is why x - 3x is the same as -2x It takes most people a bit of effort and time to understand this though.