ERIC Number: ED489627
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Jul
Pages: 8
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
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Infinity as a Multi-Faceted Concept in History and in the Mathematics Classroom
Arzarello, Ferdinando; Bussi, Maria G., Bartolini; Robutti, Ornella
International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 28th, Bergen, Norway, July 14-18, 2004
This paper presents the conceptualisation of infinity as a multi-faceted concept, discussing two examples. The first is from history and illustrates the work of Euler, when using infinity in an algebraic context. The second sketches an activity in a school context, namely students who approach the definite integral with symbolic-graphic calculators. Analysing the similarities between the examples, the authors widen the embodied cognition approach to infinity, based on the so called Basic Metaphor of Infinity of Lakoff and Nunez. In fact, they consider also the manipulation of symbols, the use of virtual and real artefacts (in one case, the algebraic machine, in the other, the calculator) and their interpretation as instruments. [For complete proceedings, see ED489597.]
Descriptors: Symbols (Mathematics), Figurative Language, Algebra, Mathematical Concepts, Graphing Calculators, History, Grade 12, Foreign Countries
International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 35 Aandwind Street, Kirstenhof, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa. Web site: http://igpme.org.
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: Grade 12
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Language: English
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Identifiers - Location: Italy
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