Presents activities designed to engage students in an experiential and theoretical application of problems in precalculus and to study geometry, coordinate systems, rates, linear applications, and the concept of function. Illustrates problem situations and includes student worksheets and a teacher's guide. (KHR)

Introduces RSA, one of the most popular public-key cryptosystems that is used to protect the privacy of computer users. Describes the mathematical foundation of public key cryptography. (KHR)

Identifies challenges children face in learning mathematics vocabulary and offers teaching strategies to circumvent those challenges. (Author/NB)

Describes the development of mathematical thinking as children construct a mini mall. Students learn the importance of cooperation with their peers as they explore mathematical concepts such as one-to-one correspondence, classification, intersection of sets, coin identification and values, addition, subtraction, and problem solving. (Author/NB)

Presents responses to the Average Days of Spring problem that appeared in the March 2002 issue of this journal. (Author/NB)

Describes a series of lessons in which 6th grade students explore notions of rates of change and their effect on the shapes of graphs. Addresses aspects of the algebra content standard for the middle grades. (YDS)

Illustrates how Lagrange's approach applies to the differential calculus of polynomial functions when approximations are obtained. Discusses how to obtain polynomial approximations in other cases. (YP)

Discusses a numerical technique called the method of adjoints, turning a linear two-point boundary value problem into an initial value problem. Described are steps for using the method in linear or nonlinear systems. Applies the technique to solve a simple pendulum problem. Lists 15 references. (YP)

Demonstrates the mathematical nature of a pollution problem in a marine environment. Includes reproducible student worksheets. (11 references) (MKR)

Identifies requisite math skills for a microeconomics course, offering samples of supply curves, demand curves, equilibrium prices, elasticity, and complex graph problems. Recommends developmental mathematics competencies, including problem solving, reasoning, connections, communication, number and operation sense, algebra, relationships,…

Reviews the early nineteenth-century American arithmetic textbook, "The Columbian Arithmetician." Examines the book for the societal importance of arithmetic, the audience to which the textbook was directed, the methods of learning mathematics, and samples of mathematical applications in the problems. (MDH)

Discusses what is meant by a process being described as chaotic and how such situations come about. Argues that clarifying this concept is particularly important because understanding chaos helps cure far more fundamental common misconceptions. (ASK)

Reviews a number of interesting sites on the Internet for mathematics education and considers the different ways in which the information available can be used as a teaching resource. Provides practical guidance on how teachers might take information in text, graphic, and file formats and use it either for themselves or with pupils. (Author/ASK)

Presents the results of a series of studies on the production, transformation, and interpretation of graphical representations from grade 8 to professional scientific practice in formal testing situations (inside) and in the course of field/laboratory work (outside). (Author/CCM)

Describes a house-buying active learning project designed to motivate students in lower level college mathematics courses. Discusses the mathematical content, implementation, evaluation, and benefits of the project. (Author/ASK)