Several studies indicate that exploring mathematical ideas by using more than one approach to prove the same statement is an important matter in mathematics education. In this work, we have collected a few different methods of proving the multinomial theorem. The goal is to help further the understanding of this theorem for those who may not be…

We propose a divisibility criterion for elements of a generic Unique Factorization Domain. As a consequence, we obtain a general divisibility criterion for polynomials over Unique Factorization Domains. The arguments can be used in basic algebra courses and are suitable for building classroom/homework activities for college and high school…

This paper reports the results of three questionnaires applied to sixty-seven students preparing to become university-level mathematics teachers; the questionnaires were focused on knowing their conceptions and their mastery of the representations of functions in the development of power series. The theoretical and methodological background rests…

Students are more likely to obtain correct solutions in solving derivative problems. Even though students can complete it correctly, they may not necessarily be able to explain the solution well. Cognition and communication by the students will greatly affect the subsequent learning process. The aim of this study is to describe students'…

In this paper we present two simulations designed with GeoGebra that illustrate dynamically a key concept in Vector Calculus: line integrals of vector fields, along with other associated mathematical properties and applications. Students are not required to know the GeoGebra environment: a user-friendly interface with buttons, functionalities and…

Undergraduate mathematics instructors often report that students make careless errors or have not previously learned key mathematical ideas and strategies. The purpose of this study is to explore evidence of an alternative explanation that at least some of these "errors" may result from students' application of conceptions developed in…

We propose a generalization of the classical Remainder Theorem for polynomials over commutative coefficient rings that allows calculating the remainder without using the long division method. As a consequence we obtain an extension of the classical Factor Theorem that provides a general divisibility criterion for polynomials. The arguments can be…

In recent years most text books utilise either the sign chart or graphing functions in order to solve a quadratic inequality of the form ax[superscript 2] + bx + c < 0 This article demonstrates an algebraic approach to solve the above inequality. To solve a quadratic inequality in the form of ax[superscript 2] + bx + c < 0 or in the…

In this study, a description is provided for the development of two undergraduate students' geometric reasoning about the derivative of a complex-valued function with the aid of "Geometer's Sketchpad" ("GSP") during an interview sequence designed to help them characterize the derivative geometrically. Specifically, a particular…

The radius of curvature formula is usually introduced in a university calculus course. Its proof is not included in most high school calculus courses and even some first-year university calculus courses because many students find the calculus used difficult (see Larson, Hostetler and Edwards, 2007, pp. 870- 872). Fortunately, there is an easier…

Polynomials with rational roots and extrema may be difficult to create. Although techniques for solving cubic polynomials exist, students struggle with solutions that are in a complicated format. Presented in this article is a way instructors may wish to introduce the topics of roots and critical numbers of polynomial functions in calculus. In a…

In a series of group activities supplemented with independent explorations and assignments, calculus students investigate functions similar to their own derivatives. Graphical, numerical, and algebraic perspectives are suggested, leading students to develop deep intuition into elementary transcendental functions even as they lay the foundation for…

This article takes a close look at Lagrange and Newton interpolation by graphically examining the component functions of each of these formulas. Although interpolation methods are often considered simply to be computational procedures, we demonstrate how the components of the polynomial terms in these formulas provide insight into where these…

We study here an aspect of an infinite set "P" of multivariate polynomials, the elements of which are associated with the arithmetic-geometric-mean inequality. In particular, we show in this article that there exist infinite subsets of probability "P" for which every element may be expressed as a finite sum of squares of real…

The purpose of this article is to examine the reasoning behind the wording of the definition of the particular solution to an initial value problem. This article will be of practical importance for students taking a first year calculus course that includes the study of first order linear separable differential equations.