One of the most common complaints about algebra is that it's 'too abstract' and disconnected from the real world.

Let's be honest: yes, it IS abstract. That is not a flaw; that is its entire purpose and power.

The abstraction is what allows it to be a universal problem-solving tool.

The variable 'x' is powerful precisely because it is abstract. It can stand for anything: the number of apples, the velocity of a train, or the time until a rocket launch.

By learning to manipulate this abstract symbol, you are learning a process that can be applied to *any* concrete problem.

If algebra were only about 'the number of apples,' it would be useless for figuring out interest rates.

The abstraction is the leap from a single, specific problem to a general method for all similar problems.

This ability to think abstractly is one of the highest forms of human cognition.

So yes, it is abstract. It is supposed to be.

That abstraction is not a weakness to be feared; it is the source of its incredible, world-changing power.