MATHEMATICAL LOGICAL INTELLIGENCE: CHARACTERISTICS, DEVELOPMENT, EXAMPLES - ECONOMÍA - 2025

The logical mathematical intelligence is the ability to observe, calculate the possible effect of certain actions on objects or ideas and how they are related to each other. People with this intelligence use logical thinking and apply inductive and deductive reasoning to solve mathematical problems and challenges.

You can have high logical mathematical intelligence and not get good grades in math. For example, the act of selecting key points from a systematic numbered sequence can demonstrate the existence of this type of intelligence.

Other examples of activities that people with this intelligence can do are doing complex calculations with precision, being good at strategy games, or being able to easily graph or explain complex data.

Also, these people value rationality, objectivity, and science. They are usually good at engineering, math, accounting, programming, financial planning, and general science. The logical mathematical intelligence is usually related to scientific thinking, and allows us to calculate, quantify, consider different options, make hypotheses, as well as perform complex mathematical operations.

On the other hand, this type of intelligence does not always imply an excellent handling of numerical quantities. For example, it is also observed in the abilities to investigate and analyze events in the outside world.

If you have ever been told that you are a very logical person, are good at numbers and mathematical operations, and complete puzzles with ease, you may have logical mathematical intelligence.

What is mathematical logical intelligence for?

Bill Gates is an entrepreneur with high mathematical logical intelligence

We use this intelligence when we recognize abstract patterns, to count in pairs or to know if we have received the change correctly after paying at the supermarket.

In addition, it takes care of various thinking strategies that we use in our daily lives, such as making lists, setting priorities, as well as organizing and planning things for the future.

Mathematical logical intelligence arises from a set of processes in the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Linguistic, visuospatial, self-control and working memory capacities are involved. Therefore, language areas such as those located in the left hemisphere, the right parietal lobe, and the frontal lobes may be related.

This type of intelligence is useful for finding important information in a text, making outlines and summaries, making graphs, following logical number sequences, deciphering codes, working with symbols and abstract formulas, etc.

Characteristics of mathematical logical intelligence

People with logical mathematical intelligence are successful in scientific investigations, in identifying relationships between different elements, understanding abstract and complex ideas, etc.

These people have the ability to learn almost anything using their logical abilities. These people often get good grades in math subjects in school and college. Also, they enjoy using math skills on a day-to-day basis.

Specifically, these individuals are characterized by:

- Skillfully handle numbers.

- Good understanding of logical concepts.

- High reasoning skills.

- Good ability to solve problems and puzzles. These people enjoy mental challenges and easily seek solutions to logical, abstract, and mathematical problems.

- Easily perform mathematical operations.

- Carry out experiments and enjoy doing them.

- Good ability to understand and apply scientific principles. Like inductive and deductive reasoning, and logical thinking.

- Be able to formulate and verify hypotheses.

- They can notice and measure the relationships and connections between certain elements.

- These individuals are good at games of skill and strategy such as chess or virtual battle games.

- These people have good problem-solving skills in everyday life. They are usually curious by nature and like to investigate the phenomena around them.

- Organize things into categories.

- Ask yourself how things work and look for rational explanations.

- Recognize numbers and be able to associate them with symbols or objects.

- They have a facility for abstract thinking.

- Recognize simple and concrete cause and effect relationships.

- Ability to perform basic sequencing tasks such as putting things in order.

- Use a wide variety of metacognitive processes and behaviors. Metacognitive abilities are those that direct, improve and monitor our own performance.

That is, it makes us aware of how we are managing our cognitive abilities and how we can improve them or realize our mistakes.

How to develop logical mathematical intelligence?

Mathematical logical intelligence can be trained and worked without having to be good at math. This training can help you perform many activities of daily life more effectively.

The thinking behind logical reasoning, for example determining missing items in sequence and the relationships between them, can help you solve everyday problems from another perspective.

Activities to develop this intelligence

- Play logical or mathematical games with family or friends. Dominoes, Cluedo, Master Mind, Monopoly, chess and the game of Go are good options.

The latter is a strategy game of Chinese origin. Players must place stones on the intersections of a 19 × 19 hole board. The winner will be the one who manages to cover the largest piece of board with the stones.

- Get an abacus and try to learn how to use it. With this instrument you can perform simple arithmetic operations such as adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Although other more complex ones such as roots can also be made.

- Make increasingly complex puzzles and puzzles.

- Try to know something about basic computer programming.

- Plan your activities or work through flow charts. Then you can watch it and think about how to improve the ways of doing things.

- Make an effort to read the news every day and look for economic concepts that you do not know or do not understand. Then try to find out what its meaning is.

- Try to think of two concepts, ideas or objects, and look for all possible relationships between them. You can do this exercise with another person in turns, you could start with: "How are an eye and a camera alike?" Try to be as thoughtful as possible and also highlight any possible differences.

- Try to build your own strategies to solve mathematical or logical problems. For example, write down all the steps necessary to perform an equation or a division step by step or record yourself telling how you solved certain problems.

- An exercise can be to select the key ideas from a text and then build concept maps.

- Before doing an arithmetic operation, try to predict the result. Then compare it with the result obtained.

- Visit science museums, planetariums, aquariums or any other place related to science.

- Do the exercise of trying to give logical explanations to a story of intrigue. Try this exercise while watching movies or reading books on this topic.

- Try to disassemble an object and analyze its parts, try to discover how it works and put it back together.

- Get a chemistry set or other scientific equipment and carry out the experiments.

- Try to get involved in conversations about scientific or mathematical concepts with your family or friends.

- Make the effort to calculate simple mathematical problems in your head such as the price of the supermarket purchase, the distance you travel in the car or on foot, etc.

- Follow science or math blogs. These can easily explain many seemingly complex concepts.

- Do not ignore the scientific or mathematical concepts that you hear or read. Make a point of looking up its meaning or ask other people who can explain it to you.

- Try to teach math concepts or operations to someone who knows less than you.

- Use objects such as index cards or other objects to learn mathematical concepts.

- Stop using the calculator and face the mathematical operations of the day to day. It may be expensive at first, but later you will develop strategies to calculate faster.

- New technologies can also be a good tool to improve mathematical logical intelligence. Currently there are many applications and websites where you can solve puzzles, hobbies, logic exercises, arithmetic operations, etc.

In addition, you can find tutorials or videos that explain scientific and mathematical concepts.

Questions that promote mathematical logical intelligence

- How does a microwave work?

- What is a laser?

- What is DNA?

- Why is it hotter in summer than in winter?

- Why is the sky blue?

- What causes acid rain?

- What is a black hole?

- What is a superconductor?

- How does a car engine work?

- Why are we sleeping?

Future professionals

Albert Einstein. Photograph by Oren Jack Turner, Princeton, NJ, via Wikimedia Commons

People with logical mathematical intelligence may choose the following career opportunities:

- Mathematician.

- Scientific.

- Accountant.

- Computer programmer.

- Investigator.

- Financial planner.

- Lawyer.

- Engineer.

- Doctor.

- Economist.

- Architect.

Theory of multiple intelligences

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