Those classes might mention this use. They're unlikely to teach students that it wasn't used elsewhere (outside math) until then, which is a crucial part of the point you were making.
Seriously, that specific aspect is trivia, not basic knowledge, even in the realm of cryptography.
Though there could've been different ways to ask rather than saying, arrogantly, "wheel is used everyday too"
I’ve taken many a crypto class and never picked up that nugget.
You made a social misstep.
Accept the correction with grace, try to be better, and move on.
You took the wrong one
No, you just have a pet fact that doesn’t really matter to anyone but you