Arthur Benjamin: Teach statistics before calculus!

翻译人员: Miss S 校对人员: Zoe Chen

Now, if President Obama

现在，如果奥巴马总统

invited me to be the next Czar of Mathematics,

邀请我出任下一个数学沙皇，

then I would have a suggestion for him

那么我会对他提出一个建议

that I think would vastly improve

我认为会极大改善

the mathematics education in this country.

这个国家的数学教育。

And it would be easy to implement

这个建议实施起来很容易

and inexpensive.

而且不会花费太多。

The mathematics curriculum that we have

我们的数学课程

is based on a foundation of arithmetic and algebra.

是以代数和几何作为根基的。

And everything we learn after that

我们所学的每个东西

is building up towards one subject.

都层层相扣地朝向一个主题。

And at top of that pyramid, it's calculus.

金字塔的顶端，是微积分。

And I'm here to say

我在这里想说的是

that I think that that is the wrong summit of the pyramid ...

我认为这种金字塔顶端是微积分的说法是错误的……

that the correct summit -- that all of our students,

正确的顶端－所有的学生，

every high school graduate should know --

每个高中毕业生应当知道－

should be statistics:

那即是统计：

probability and statistics.

概率和统计。

(Applause)

(掌声)

I mean, don't get me wrong. Calculus is an important subject.

不过，别误解我。微积分当然是一门重要的学科。

It's one of the great products of the human mind.

它是人类思维的其中一个伟大产物。

The laws of nature are written in the language of calculus.

自然法则就是建立在微积分上。

And every student who studies math, science, engineering, economics,

而且每个学习数学、自然科学、工程和经济的学生，

they should definitely learn calculus

都绝对应当学习微积分，

by the end of their freshman year of college.

在他们作为大学新生的第一年。

But I'm here to say, as a professor of mathematics,

但我在这里要说的是，作为一个数学教授，

that very few people actually use calculus

很少人真正使用微积分，

in a conscious, meaningful way, in their day-to-day lives.

有意在日常生活中使用微积分。

On the other hand,

另一方面，

statistics -- that's a subject that you could,

统计－作为一个学科你能，

and should, use on daily basis. Right?

而且应该在日常生活中使用。对吧？

It's risk. It's reward. It's randomness.

它是风险。它是奖励。它没有规律。

It's understanding data.

它是对数据的理解。

I think if our students, if our high school students --

我认为如果我们的学生，如果我们的高中生－

if all of the American citizens --

如果每一个美国人－

knew about probability and statistics,

了解概率和统计，

we wouldn't be in the economic mess that we're in today. (Laughter) (Applause)

那么我们不会经历今天的经济紊乱。

Not only -- thank you -- not only that ...

不只是－谢谢－不只是那些……

but if it's taught properly, it can be a lot of fun.

如果它正确的被教授，它会有很多乐趣。

I mean, probability and statistics,

我是说，概率和统计，

it's the mathematics of games and gambling.

是游戏和赌博的数学形式。

It's analyzing trends. It's predicting the future.

我们用它分析趋势，我们用它预测未来。

Look, the world has changed

看，这个世界已经变了

from analog to digital.

从模拟时代到数字时代。

And it's time for our mathematics curriculum to change

现在正是我们数学课程改变的时刻，

from analog to digital,

从模拟到数字。

from the more classical, continuous mathematics,

从更加古典、连续的数学，

to the more modern, discrete mathematics --

到更加现代、离散的数学。

the mathematics of uncertainty,

数学中的不确定性，

of randomness, of data --

数据的不规律性

that being probability and statistics.

便是统计和概率。

In summary, instead of our students

总体来说，比起让我们的学生

learning about the techniques of calculus,

学习微积分公式，

I think it would be far more significant

我认为更加重要的是

if all of them knew what two standard deviations

让他们所有人知道两个平均数标准差

from the mean means. And I mean it.

的意思。我是认真的。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

(掌声)