Algebra

Algebra refers to the discipline of transforming concrete problems into abstract symbols and solving them according to rules of operation. For example, it takes a question like “If I run at 10 km/h, how many hours do I need to run to cover 100 km?” and replaces it with a short equation such as $10x=100$.

Many of the great unsolved problems in mathematics were solved by transforming them algebraically. Just as Descartes brought many problems of geometry onto the coordinate plane and converted them into problems between numbers.

Through algebra, we can take a step back from the unnecessary details of a problem and focus only on the essential structures that the actual problem possesses. In addition, algebra symbolizes the structure of a problem, visualizing it in a form that is much easier for humans to understand. Boolean algebra is one such example.