Applications at a Glance


A lot of tools and concepts in geometry aren't that popular in other areas of math. Sure, graphs are handy and you might see a triangle thrown into a math lesson every once in a while, but when was the last time you saw a cone in an algebra class? No, that leaning tower of ice cream you snuck in on the last day of school doesn't count.

Geometry is really the awkward third wheel of math courses. If they were siblings, then algebra, trigonometry, and calculus would be a pop rock band sensation and geometry would be the Bonus Jonas. Underrated, yet full of hidden talent and possibility.

And honestly, geometry has something that none of the other math fields can claim: a solid application to the real world.

Seriously! How often are you going to find the degree of a polynomial in real life? When have you ever solved a real-world problem by taking the indefinite integral?

Geometry, on the other hand, has real-life applications all over the place. All around us are lines, shapes, angles, distances, symmetries, congruencies, circles, squares, triangles, volumes, and areas. Textiles and clothing, video game design, and architecture are just a few of the fields that use geometry and apply it to the world (or virtual world) around us.

And if you've ever helped put together a piece of Ikea furniture, you know how useful geometry (and an Allen wrench) can be.