Topology is considered an advanced field in mathematics, and it might seem off-putting to people with no previous experience in mathematics. The classification theorem, which lies within the field of algebraic topology, is fascinating, but understanding it requires extensive mathematical knowledge. In this manuscript, we present a modular object…

Point-set topology is among the most abstract branches of mathematics in that it lacks tangible notions of distance, length, magnitude, order, and size. There is no shape, no geometry, no algebra, and no direction. Everything we are used to visualizing is gone. In the teaching and learning of mathematics, this can present a conundrum. Yet, this…

In this work, a bibliometric analysis of the investigations of the last 54 years focused on the teaching of topology and its applications in the learning of other areas of knowledge was carried out. The articles that appear in the SCOPUS database were taken into account under the search criteria of the words topology and teaching, connected with…

This paper presents the ways that reflective questions were used to develop pre-service mathematics teachers' understanding of metric and topological spaces. In particular, the purpose of developing PSTs' understanding of metric and topological spaces is that understanding these mathematical concepts leads to PSTs' understandings on how to teach…

This paper aims at defining and exploring design principles in a distance technological setting for an educational activity for mathematics undergraduate students, devoted to the construction of basic concepts in general topology, the promotion of problem-solving processes, the development of metacognitive aspects, and, in general, the development…

Example use in undergraduate mathematics has been extensively studied. However, little is known about undergraduates' example use in the context of introductory point-set topology. We present a case study of one undergraduate and describe her example use when constructing proofs in the context of introductory topology. We describe her use of a…

As mathematics educators we want our students to develop a natural curiosity that will lead them on the path toward solving problems in a changing world, in fields that perhaps do not even exist today. Here we present student projects, adaptable for several mid- and upper-level mathematics courses, that require students to formulate their own…

We propose the use of finite topological spaces as examples in a point-set topology class especially suited to help students transition into abstract mathematics. We describe how carefully chosen examples involving finite spaces may be used to reinforce concepts, highlight pathologies, and develop students' non-Euclidean intuition. We end with a…

This study aims to specify to what extent students understand topology during the lesson and to determine possible misconceptions. 14 teacher trainees registered at Secondary School Mathematics education department were observed in the topology lessons throughout a semester and data collected at the first topology lesson is presented here.…

Automobile sunshades always fold into an "odd" number of loops. The explanation why involves elementary topology (braid theory and linking number, both explained in detail here with definitions and examples), and an elementary fact from algebra about symmetric group.

We discuss the boundary in the Poincare phase plane for boundedness of solutions to spring model equations of the form [second derivative of]x + x + epsilonx[superscript 2] = Fcoswt and the [second derivative of]x + x + epsilonx[superscript 3] = Fcoswt and report the results of a systematic numerical investigation on the global stability of…

We explore how curvature and torsion determine the shape of a curve via the Frenet-Serret formulas. The connection is made explicit using the existence of solutions to ordinary differential equations. We use a paperclip as a concrete, visual example and generate its graph in 3-space using a CAS. We also show how certain physical deformations to…

Brian Griffiths (1927-2008) was a British mathematician and educator who served as a member of the founding editorial board of "Educational Studies in Mathematics". As a mathematician, Griffiths is remembered through his work on what continue to be known as "Griffiths-type" topological spaces. As a mathematics educator, his…

In this note, it is shown that in a symmetric topological space, the pairs of sets separated by the topology determine the topology itself. It is then shown that when the codomain is symmetric, functions which separate only those pairs of sets that are already separated are continuous, generalizing a result found by M. Lynch.

The material in this booklet is concerned with a discussion and examination of geometric puzzles and the ideas which result from their study. The general idea of graphs is introduced as a tool which can be used to solve geometric puzzles. The fact that working with puzzles can lead to unexpected mathematical discoveries is stressed. Such topics as…