ERIC Number: EJ1029184
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1492-6156
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
How to Act? a Question of Encapsulating Infinity
Mamolo, Ami
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, v14 n1 p1-22 2014
This article investigates some of the specific features involved in accommodating the idea of actual infinity as it appears in set theory. It focuses on the conceptions of two individuals with sophisticated mathematics background, as manifested in their engagement with variations of a well-known paradox: the ping-pong ball conundrum. The APOS theory is used as a framework to interpret participants' efforts to resolve the paradoxes. The cases discussed focus on how transfinite subtraction may be conceptualized, and they suggest that there is more to accommodating the idea of actual infinity than the ability to act on a completed object--rather, it is the manner in which objects are acted upon that is also significant.
Descriptors: Mathematical Concepts, Theories, Logical Thinking, Learning Theories, Subtraction, College Students, Student Attitudes, Prior Learning, Mathematical Aptitude, Foreign Countries, College Faculty
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A