The education system prepares children to become productive members of society. First coined in the days of one-room schools, the phrase “reading, writing, and arithmetic” has become a common mantra of education. The third of these three r's is mathematics, an infamous subject. It is mandatory in many professions, from accountants and doctors to physicists and teachers. Hated and adored by many, mathematics is complex, essential and encompasses hundreds of topics. These topics can be divided into four basic categories: elementary mathematics, algebra, physics, and calculus. Elementary mathematics is the mathematics that everyone wishes they could learn again. It's the math of writing numbers, counting to ten, and adding two and two. In elementary math, correctly scribbling a “7” merits a “good job” sticker, and the possibilities of math never go beyond the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. “Crazy Minute” tests – tests with 60 basic math problems to be completed in less than a minute – are perhaps the only scary aspect of elementary mathematics. Teachers have no difficulty finding real-world applications for the four pillars of arithmetic. Attentive students will be enchanted by the fact that they can now answer the classic question: "If John has two apples and Jane has three apples, how many do they have together?" The phrase “No matter what you do when you get older, you'll have to do the math” is actually true in terms of elementary arithmetic, as everyone from janitors to CEOs use skills like adding or dividing every day. With this in mind, elementary mathematics could be considered the most important type of mathematics, despite its simplicity. The end of this simplicity, algebra, is the point at which a student's mathematical career can take off or fall... halfway through the paper. .....one of the lucky math lovers. Math Lovers will continue with Calculus II, III and beyond. They will become engineers and computer programmers. If a student excels in calculus, he should feel proud of himself. He is a lover of mathematics, one of the fruitful minds that society reveres for his understanding of such esoteric mathematics. Sparking fear in some and adoration in others, the math is different. Its divisions of elementary mathematics, algebra, physics, and calculus cover everything from counting to finding the area under a curve. While some occupations require math skills, others require only the basics: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Those who struggle to understand far beyond these four pillars of arithmetic always have the other two r's to fall back on. Together, reading, writing and the infamous "rithmetic" form the basis of education.