Five experiments investigated whether adults and preschool children can perform simple arithmetic calculations on non-symbolic numerosities. Previous research has demonstrated that human adults, human infants, and non-human animals can process numerical quantities through approximate representations of their magnitudes. Here we consider whether…

The fraction 10000/9801 has an intriguing decimal expansion, namely 1.02030405... In this paper, we investigate the properties of this fraction via an arithmetical approach. The approach also yields a class of fractions whose decimal expansions involve higher-dimensional analogues of the integers, the n-dimensional pyramidal numbers, thereby…

A method for generating sums of series based on simple differential operators is presented, together with a number of worked examples with interesting properties.

This article discusses divisibility tests for any prime number.

The paper details a comprehensive system for the treatment of the topic of limits--conceptually, computationally, and formally. The system addresses fundamental linguistic flaws in the standard presentation of limits, which attempts to force limit discussion into the language of individual real numbers and equality. The system of near-numbers…

Learning mathematics has traditionally been thought of as a sequential progression. Children learn to count to 10, then to 20, and then to 100. They learn to add without regrouping and then with regrouping. The authors teach addition before multiplication and the two-times table before the six-times table. They usually teach division as a separate…

This article proposes an instructional idea where students can figure out an individual's secret personal information using the power of mathematics, particularly the power of algebraic thinking. The proposed examples in this article start with a personalized context that other people do not know and end up with generalized patterns of solutions.…

Background: Understanding and solving problems involves different levels of representation. On the one hand, there are logico-mathematical representations, or problem models (PMs), which contain information such as "the size of the flock changed from 31 sheep to 42" while, on the other hand, there are more qualitative representations, or…

There is debate as to the relationship between mathematical ability and language. Some research has suggested that common processes underlie arithmetic and grammar while other research has suggested that these are distinct processes. The current study aimed to address this issue in a large group of 68 left hemisphere stroke patients who were all…

The purpose of this study was to determine prospective teachers' knowledge about the concept of division. One focus of interest was whether the prospective teachers were able to represent division of fractions. The participants were introduced to an alternative model for representation of fractions based on a rate or ratio model of division…

Algebraic reasoning stands as a formidable gatekeeper for students in their efforts to progress in mathematics and science, and to obtain economic opportunities (Ladson-Billings, 1998; RAND, 2003). Currently, mathematics education research has focused on algebra in order to provide access and opportunities for more students. There is now a growing…

The aim of this series of four articles is to look critically, and in some detail, at the primary strategy approach to written calculation, as set out on pages 5 to 16 of the "Guidance paper" "Calculation." The underlying principle of that approach is that children should use mental methods whenever they are appropriate, whereas for calculations…

This article discusses the difficulties preservice teachers experience when they try to make sense of the standard long-division algorithm, describes a realistic context that we have found productive in helping our students think about why the algorithm works and the role of place value in the algorithm, and suggests the applicability of this…

The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate group differences in specific arithmetic competencies among students with various types of learning difficulties (LD) and (2) to examine the influence of attention behaviors on possible group differences. Participants were a community sample of 291 third- and fourth-grade students with reading…

This article discusses the role of the commutative, associative, distributive, and identity properties of addition and multiplication in preparing children for future success in algebra. (Contains 3 figures.)