We investigated understanding of the linear independence concept based on the type and nature of connections displayed in seven non-mathematics majors' interview responses to a set of open-ended questions. Through a qualitative analysis, we identified six categories of frequently displayed connections. There were also recognizable differences in…

Recent educational studies in mathematics seek to justify a thesis that there is a conflict between students' intuitions regarding infinity and the standard theory of infinite numbers. On the contrary, we argue that students' intuitions do not match but to Cantor's theory, not to any theory of infinity. To this end, we sketch ways of measuring…

Teaching and learning Calculus concepts and procedures, particularly the definite integral concept, is a challenge for teachers and students in their academic careers. In this research, we supplement the analysis made by different authors, applying the theoretical and methodological tools of the Onto-Semiotic Approach to mathematical knowledge and…

The article is dedicated to solving extrema problems in teaching mathematics, without using calculus. We present and discuss a wide variety of mathematical extrema tasks where the extrema are obtained and find their solutions without resorting to differential. Particular attention is paid to the role of arithmetic and geometric means inequality in…

This paper reports the results of a research exploring the mathematical connections of pre-university students while they solving tasks which involving rates of change. We assume mathematical connections as a cognitive process through which a person finds real relationships between two or more ideas, concepts, definitions, theorems, procedures,…

Why would anyone think of teaching and learning mathematics directly from primary historical sources? We aim to answer this question while sharing our own experiences, and those of our students across several decades. We will first describe the evolution of our motivation for teaching with primary sources, and our current view of the advantages…

The educational laws establish an organization and a grouping of the contents of the educational system they rule. As far as we know, the set of experts who design it neither follow precise objective criteria nor use computer tools. That is why they are not usually rotund. We consider that defining precise objective criteria is the key to develop…

An algorithm for error control (absolute and relative) in the five-point finite-difference method applied to Poisson's equation is described. The algorithm is based on discretization of the domain of the problem by means of three rectilinear grids, each of different resolution. We discuss some hardware limitations associated with the algorithm,…

An experiment was conducted over three recent semesters of an introductory calculus course to test whether it was possible to quantify the effect that difficulty with basic algebraic and arithmetic computation had on individual performance. Points lost during the term were classified as being due to either algebraic and arithmetic mistakes…

In this article, the authors explore the reasons why some mathematical functions are referred to as odd, and others as even. They start by recalling the definitions of both functions. Simply stated, the value of an even function is the same for a number and its opposite, whereas the value of an odd function changes for the opposite number when the…

This work introduces a distance between natural numbers not based on their position on the real line but on their arithmetic properties. We prove some metric properties of this distance and consider a possible extension.

The basis of this intervention study is a distinction between numerical calculus and relational calculus. The former refers to numerical calculations and the latter to the analysis of the quantitative relations in mathematical problems. The inverse relation between addition and subtraction is relevant to both kinds of calculus, but so far research…

This paper surveys the fascinating mathematics of fair division, and provides a suite of examples using basic ideas from algebra, calculus, and probability which can be used to examine and test new and sometimes complex mathematical theories and claims involving fair division. Conversely, the classical cut-and-choose and moving-knife algorithms…

These days, multiplying two numbers together is a breeze. One just enters the two numbers into one's calculator, press a button, and there is the answer! It never used to be this easy. Generations of students struggled with tables of logarithms, and thought it was a miracle when the slide rule first appeared. In this article, the author discusses…

"Mathematical habits of mind" include reasoning by continuity, looking at extreme cases, performing thought experiments, and using abstraction that mathematicians use in their work. Current recommendations emphasize the critical nature of developing these habits of mind: "Once this kind of thinking is established, students can apply it in the…