It requires hand-eye, but it absolutely is solving maths problems, albeit in a non-numerical intuitive way.
Consider someone playing pool, or throwing darts. They are absolutely both solving maths problems, even if neither of them could ever write down the formulae they’re using. It’s the same with the protagonist, except the intuitive and instinctual process that most folks use is surfaced and formalised to become an explicit part of the problem solving process.
