Why do we use letters like x and y to represent numbers in algebra?
In: Mathematics
Others have answered the question, “why do we use the specific letters ‘x,y, etc.’ in algebra?” I’m instead going to try to answer, “why do we use letters at all in algebra?”
If you’re in school and wondering why suddenly your math teacher is introducing these weird letters into math, a subject based around numbers, it’s because you’ve shifted from studying one part of mathematics to another, specifically shifting from arithmetic to algebra. Arithmetic, what you’ve probably been doing since starting school, is about executing a series of operations on some numbers to get to a final number (e.g., 2+3*5=17). Algebra on the other hand, is about using arithmetic to solve for the unknown (x, y, etc.). Arithmetic assumes everything you need is already known; algebra assumes there is something unknown and we’re using math to figure out what it is.
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