> Yes kids in school put pen to paper for algebra, but they also often do this in programming classes, for no useful reason other than to demonstrate knowledge

> Yes kids in school put pen to paper for algebra, but they also often do this in programming classes, for no useful reason other than to demonstrate knowledge It's not just kids in school who are putting pen to paper when it comes to math. Know who else does that? Scientists Pen to paper may have no other useful purpose than to demonstrate knowledge when it comes to programming, but putting pen to paper does have other useful purposes when it comes to math. In fact, it's essential and practically not optional. Producing useful or illuminating results in algebra--solving equations, factoring expressions, finding roots--demands it and most mathematicians and scientists don't do those things in their heads. Moreover, most people won't even become mathematicians or scientists. They won't even be expected to produce useful or illuminating results in algebra. They won't even be expected to have the mathematical intuition developed by dint of years of hard effort. In short, they won't be doing much math as adults, just like most adults don't play chess or play the piano. Chess and piano are wonderful things, but they're not for everyone. Algebra is little different.