Does it matter? Well, yes, I suppose it does, but not in the way you might think. Until now, my answer has always been "algebra". And then I wait for the inevitable comment: "Oh, I was never any good at math!", or even "Yuck, I hate math!" At least they know that algebra is a branch of mathematics. However, this is not the kind of conversation starter that makes either party feel comfortable. In fact, it is often a conversation stopper. Check out the pie chart, third from the top on this blog.
