21/09/2026
A child can struggle with a school maths problem—and still be excellent at mathematics.
A 2025 study published in Nature, involving 1,436 children working in markets across Delhi and Kolkata, found a striking gap between “school mathematics” and “street mathematics.”
Many of these children could perform complex calculations in real-world market transactions, yet struggled with problems of similar or even lower complexity when presented in the abstract format used in school. The researchers highlight the need to bridge intuitive, applied and formal mathematical understanding.
This raises a bigger question:
Are we teaching students mathematics—or teaching them how to recognise familiar mathematical formats?
This question resonates strongly with the academic vision of Prof. Dr. V. P. Saxena, mathematician, former Vice-Chancellor of Jiwaji University, Gwalior, and former Visiting Scientist at the University of Cambridge, UK. As a renowned mathematician and Patron-in-Chief of Epoch Olympiad Foundation, his work spans mathematical theory and its applications, including mathematical modelling of real-world systems.
That same philosophy is central to what we are building at Epoch:
From formula → to concept.
From calculation → to reasoning.
From familiar questions → to unfamiliar problems.
Because understanding mathematics means more than getting an answer.
It means being able to use mathematical thinking when the question changes.
Beyond Marks. Measure Thinking.
Discover more about the thinking, people and purpose behind Epoch: https://www.epocholympiad.in/
For the detailed research and findings: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00311-z
