From your description and context, it sounds like you&#x27;re describing elementary algebra and not abstract algebra.<p>Honest question that sounds mean: isn&#x27;t elementary algebra required for graduation from high school and admission to university?  My university didn&#x27;t offer elementary algebra, and I thought students without elementary algebra skills needed to at least start out in the community college system.  In my public school system, the advanced math kids took elementary algebra in 8th grade, and the less mathematically inclined took it in 9th grade.