Learning Math

To the person who declared that the study of math was a waste of time (letter, March 17), it should be pointed out that colleges and universities are not supposed to be mere vocational schools. Math is a mental discipline that teaches students how to think, something most of them need badly. Whether or not you will ever need to use a quadratic equation is irrelevant. The rigorous logic involved is a valuable tool for a great many activities.

THOMAS D. BUTCHER

San Diego