"Mathematics has the dubious honor of being the least popular subject in the curriculum ... Future teachers pass through the elementary schools learning to detest mathematics. They drop it in high school as early as possible. They avoid it in teachers' colleges because it is not required. They return to the elementary school to teach a new generation to detest it."
— Report to the Educational Testing Service Princeton, New Jersey, as quoted in TIME magazine (18 June 1956)
"The good Christian should beware the mathematician and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of hell."note
— Augustine of Hippo
"[T]o me it was a hateful chant to recite 'one and one is two', and 'two and two are four.'"note
— Augustine of Hippo, Confessions (Saint Augustine)
"I enjoy drawing, but not as much as music," she said after a moment's thought. "Much more than mathematics." She wrinkled her nose. "But then, anything's better than mathematics."
"Arnora holds mathematics in the same high regard," Lord Magstrom said seriously, but his blue eyes twinkled.
Jaenelle's lips twitched. "Does she? A sensible witch."
"No... I can't stand... geometry..."
— Kagome Higurashi, Inuyasha
"Conclusion: math is HARD!"
— Gwen Morita's notes, Sleepless Domain
"C'mon... Even if I memorize this math stuff, it's not exciting!"
— Mirai Asahina, Maho Girls Pretty Cure!, episode 14
"Arrr! Math be hard, let's go shopping!"
— LeChuckie doll, The Curse of Monkey Island
"I'm afraid we need to use... MATH."
— Professor Farnsworth, Futurama
"No! I can't take another minute in the cold unyielding world of numbers!"
— Mikey, Recess
"Math. The enemy of all things good."
"All of these complaints [about how mathematics are taught] aside, the real problem with this kind of presentation is that it is boring. Efficiency and economy simply do not make good pedagogy. I have a hard time believing that Euclid would approve of this; I know Archimedes wouldn’t."
— Paul Lockhart, A Mathematician's Lament
Hades broke his gaze, cleared his throat, and looked to Thanatos and Hecate. "So - any ideas as how to handle our current predicament?"
Hecate waved a hand and her notepad appeared before her. "I'm already on it." She held up her notes for the group to see, displaying what looked like a series of complicated mathematical equations. "There's dark magic in this spectacular — if I say so myself — curse. Lady Demeter probably consulted Circe or Medea. Honestly, I'm a little offended she didn't come to me."
Ignoring the borderline-treasonous remarks made by Hecate, Hades took the notes from her, analyzing them closer.
"Isn't this algebra?" he inquired after a few moment, looking at her dubiously.
Hecate took the papers back, holding them protectively. "Algebra and dark magic are very closely linked." She nodded. "The mortals don't know this yet, but they will." She gave a dark laugh. "Oh, they will."
— This Place Is Too Cold for Hell, a Greek Mythology fanfic
, a Greek Mythology fanficBen: I'm Ben. (off Buffy's blank look) We had Algebra II together last year.
Buffy: Sorry, I pretty much repress anything math-related.
Buffy: Sorry, I pretty much repress anything math-related.
— Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "I Only Have Eyes For You"
"Uh-oh. Math! I hope we don't pop a blood vessel."
"In my nightmares, I am chased by algorithms. My brain just wasn't built to understand this."
— Tal Celes, Star Trek: Voyager
Tal Celes fled the room as if being pursued by a nightmarish algorithm with trigonometric teeth and multivariate claws.
[...] "most people are so frightened of the name of mathematics that they are ready, quite unaffectedly, to exaggerate their own mathematical stupidity."
— G. H. Hardy, A Mathematician's Apology
"For the last fucking time, NOBODY SAID THERE'D BE MATH!!!!!!!"
— Kreese, MadWorld
"Come on, math, you dick."
— Brian Griffin, Family Guy
"Anyway, why was math always such a pain? I wanted information, not formulas. Numbers and formulas were just ideas, and didn't provide any benefit at all as information."
— Takuru Miyashiro, Chaos;Child
Math homework was the one thing a supervillain could steal, in which the theft thereof would improve their relations with the general public.
Eliwood: We’ve been sparring once every two months since we were twelve, and of 30 matches, 14 I won, 12 I lost, and 4 were draws.
Hector: Erh? I think not! I recall 31 matches—an even 13-13 split, with 5 draws!
Eliwood: Yes, well, you recall wrong. I’m in the right.
Hector: Hmph. And what makes you so certain?
Eliwood: Whose snoring was it that shook the rafters in numbers class?
Hector: Ah, good point.
Hector: Erh? I think not! I recall 31 matches—an even 13-13 split, with 5 draws!
Eliwood: Yes, well, you recall wrong. I’m in the right.
Hector: Hmph. And what makes you so certain?
Eliwood: Whose snoring was it that shook the rafters in numbers class?
Hector: Ah, good point.
Calvin: I wish this sled had a speedometer so we could know how fast we're going.
Hobbes: I suppose we could measure the hill, time our descent, calculate our rate in feet per minute, and convert that into miles per hour.
Calvin: That sounds like math.
Hobbes: Um, yes...
Calvin: Suddenly I stopped caring.
Hobbes: I suppose we could measure the hill, time our descent, calculate our rate in feet per minute, and convert that into miles per hour.
Calvin: That sounds like math.
Hobbes: Um, yes...
Calvin: Suddenly I stopped caring.
Aria: Everyone is afraid of something. For example... Math terrifies me!
Lewin: That's pathetic.
Aria: Eeeh? It's not pathetic! I must face it everyday at school... It's terrible! No matter how many math books I read, I can't understand them. It's so frustrating!
Lewin: You should practice more.
Aria: I'd rather spend my free time reading a fun book.
Lewin: Maybe that's the problem...
Lewin: That's pathetic.
Aria: Eeeh? It's not pathetic! I must face it everyday at school... It's terrible! No matter how many math books I read, I can't understand them. It's so frustrating!
Lewin: You should practice more.
Aria: I'd rather spend my free time reading a fun book.
Lewin: Maybe that's the problem...
Hm? There's something written on the door; it looks like an equation. (tries to open the door and fails) I see... I think we have to solve it and enter the answer to open the door. Luna? Why do you seem scared? Don't tell me that math scares you more than going through a path of spikes...
—Neil Lawton, Midnight Train
He placed his backpack on the floor of the wall and started digging through it. If there wasn't anything he could do, the best thing he could do was work on his schoolwork, boring as that was. He pulled out a red notebook and a textbook on math. He sighed and started slogging through.
After what seemed like hours had passed (though it was like ten minutes - but you couldn't blame him, math was exhausting) before something caught his attention.
Here lies Misako, killed by numbers.
— Misako, River City Girls
''But the math is bad. It's very very BAAAAD!
"It's time for my sickest creation, a math quiz!"
"Axed by addition, slain by subtraction! Every time I see a number I freak out!"
— PJ, Goof Troop
Butthead: I'm, like, angry at numbers.
Beavis: Yeah! There's, like, too many of them and stuff.
