[FredPret]

> I have never needed to factor a quadratic equation

I think this very much depends on what you end up specializing in. I bet a lot of the code we write every day has a dependency buried somewhere where all sorts of equations end up getting factored.

[andrewprock]

Yes, saying "I have never needed to factor a quadratic equation" is akin to saying "I have never needed to fly on an airplane".

Both statements can be true, but neither negates the utility of the activity.