Explanation and proof in mathematics

Repository | Book

Springer, Dordrecht

2010

294 Pages

ISBN 978-1-4419-0575-8

Explanation and proof in mathematics

philosophical and educational perspectives

Edited by

Gila Hanna, Hans Niels Jahnke, Helmut Pulte

In the four decades since Imre Lakatos declared mathematics a "quasi-empirical science," increasing attention has been paid to the process of proof and argumentation in the field -- a development paralleled by the rise of computer technology and the mounting interest in the logical underpinnings of mathematics. Explanantion and Proof in Mathematics assembles perspectives from mathematics education and from the philosophy and history of mathematics to strengthen mutual awareness and share recent findings and advances in their interrelated fields. Withexamples ranging from the geometrists of the 17th century and ancient Chinese algorithms to cognitive psychology and current educational practice, contributors explore the role of refutation in generating proofs, the varied links between experiment and deduction, the use of diagrammatic thinking in addition to pure logic, and the uses of proof in mathematics education (including a critique of "authoritative" versus "authoritarian" teaching styles).

A sampling of the coverage:

Explanation and Proof in Mathematics is certain to attract a wide range of readers, including mathematicians, mathematics education professionals, researchers, students, and philosophers and historians of mathematics.

Publication details

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-0576-5

Full citation:

Hanna, G. , Jahnke, H. , Pulte, H. (eds) (2010). Explanation and proof in mathematics: philosophical and educational perspectives, Springer, Dordrecht.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Hanna Gila; Jahnke Hans Niels; Pulte Helmut

1-13