of the 2 and get 32, which is divisible by 8, and so the quotient of 32 and 8 is 4. 4 is written under the ones-column. There are no other digits remaining, and we can check that 34 is truly the answer by multiplying the quotient with the divisor, 8, to get 272. Thus, the algorithm is complete, yielding the result: Educational standards Elementary arithmetic is typically taught at the primary or secondary school levels and is governed by local educational standards. In the United States and Canada, there has been debate about the content and methods used to teach elementary arithmetic. One issue has been the use of calculators versus manual computation, with some arguing that calculator use should be limited in order to promote mental arithmetic skills. Another debate has centered on the distinction between traditional and reform mathematics, with traditional methods often focusing more on basic computation skills and reform methods placing a greater emphasis on higher-level mathematical concepts such as algebra, statistics, and problem-solving. In the United States, the 1989 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards led to a shift in elementary school curricula that de-emphasized or omitted certain topics traditionally considered to be part of elementary arithmetic, in favor of a greater focus on college-level concepts such as algebra and statistics. This shift has been controversial, with some arguing that it has resulted in a lack of emphasis on basic computation skills that are important for success in later math classes. Generalizations Elementary arithmetic is a branch of mathematics that involves the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. These operations are typically used with real numbers, which form a field when equipped with these operations and their inverses. A field is a set of objects that can be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided in ways that follow expected rules, such as the associative and distributive properties. While the real numbers are a well-known example of a field, there are many other types of fields that can behave differently from the real numbers. For example, modular integer arithmetic modulo a prime number is also a field. Relaxing the rules of arithmetic even further can lead to the creation of other algebraic structures such as division rings and integral domains. See also Early numeracy Elementary mathematics Chunking (division) Plus and minus signs Division by zero Real number Imaginary number References External links