Mathematics provides us with tools to capture and explain phenomena in everyday biology, even at the nanoscale. The most regularly applied technique to biology is differential equations. In this article, we seek to present how differential equation models of biological phenomena, particularly the flow through ion channels, can be used to motivate…

QR decomposition is widely used for solving the least squares problem. However, existing materials about it may be too abstract for non-mathematicians, especially STEM students, and/or require serious background in linear algebra. The paper describes theoretical background and examples of GNU Octave compatible MATLAB scripts that give relatively…

In this note we demonstrate two instances where matrix multiplication can be easily verified. In the first setting, the matrix product appears as matrix element concatenation, and in the second, the product coincides with matrix addition. General proofs for some results are provided with a more complete description for 2×2 matrices. Suggested for…

The present study aimed to examine children's and adults' performance and strategies in volume estimations. Three tasks were designed and presented to 40 adults and 40 6th grade children who were asked to estimate: (a) the number of unit measures (bricks/rice spoons) that may be put in a container, (b) the quantity of bricks/rice, between two…

The aim of this paper is to present a teaching proposal for the theoretical part relating to the first- and second-order linear difference equations with constant coefficients suitable for the first-year students at various types of universities. In contradistinction to the methods often applied (memorization of algorithms without a proper…

The use of technologies in mathematics education at all levels has been discussed extensively for a number of years. It is one of the few themes that was the object of two ICMI studies, the most recent being published in 2010. Two new approaches, emerging lately in the teaching and learning of Mathematics at all levels, will be discussed:…

Presents an approach for illustrating, on an intuitive level, the significance of loop invariants for algorithm design and analysis. The illustration is based on mathematical games that require the exploration of regularities via problem-solving heuristics. (Author/MM)

Attention is drawn to an ancient Greek method for finding the least common multiple (LCM) of two numbers. A link is established between this method and a well-known method of obtaining the highest common factor (HCF) numbers. This leads to consideration of some relationships between HCF and LCM. (Author/MK)

The cognitive method, an algorithmic method for transforming verbal word problems into equations, equation systems, inequalities, etc., is presented and discussed. The psychological and mathematical aspects of the cognitive method are also reviewed. (MP)

The theory of unary and binary operations are discussed and illustrated with examples from school mathematics. Presentations of selected inverse operations are made and attention is drawn to certain "typical" problems that occur during instruction and learning of these concepts. (MP)