Tag: mathematics
The FMsquare Foundation: Forging a fuzzy future
The FMsquare Foundation is an organisation dedicated to spreading the holistic values of ‘fuzzy logic’ – a varied and reflexive ‘natural’ logic that accounts for infinite values and human imprecision in data processing. In an exciting interview with Research Outreach, Andreas Meier (Founder), Edy Portmann (President), and Witold Pedrycz (Ambassador) discuss their respective roles as fuzzy logic evangelists working with […]
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How can mathematics research increase effective instruction and student success?
Elementary and middle school students in the US are underachieving in mathematics. Those without adequate understanding of basic mathematical concepts and skills after completing kindergarten go on to struggle throughout their maths education. So how can teaching maths be improved to enable children to learn best? Dr Jonathan Brendefur and colleagues at the Developing Mathematical Thinking Institute (DMTI) have developed […]
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Linking maths to the real-world
Introduction In high school and at pre-university levels, most maths lessons focus on the abstract, which can turn learners off and lead them to believe that mathematics is not relevant to their daily lives. Since the beginning of the 21st century, educational administrators and teachers have been focusing on how mathematics can be applied in the real-world. According to Vassiliou […]
Superellipses to Superformula: The impact of Gielis Transformations
Devised to describe botanical shapes by Dr Johan Gielis, visiting Professor at the University of Antwerp, the Superformula has found applications across many areas of mathematics, science and technology. Dr Gielis’ single equation, which provides a unified description of abstract, natural and man-made shapes, from triangles to spirals, has now been tested on more than 50,000 specimens, and his original […]
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Self-efficacy in non-routine problem solving in STEM education
Dr Tanya Evans and Emeritus Prof Mike Thomas from the University of Auckland, led by Associate Prof Sergiy Klymchuk from Auckland University of Technology, have developed an intervention that examines whether the employability prospects of students in STEM education could be improved. Their findings suggest that the attitude profiles of students with high and low lateral thinking self-efficacy differ significantly. […]
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Metabiology and the complexity of natural evolution
In his study of metabiology, Arturo Carsetti, from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, reviews existing theories and explores novel concepts regarding the complexity of biological systems while demonstrating the role of information processing and mathematical reasoning. On the basis of what is claimed by Gregory Chaitin, he perceives evolution as a hill-climbing random walk in software space, making biology mathematical […]
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How do I choose? Teachers making sense of pedagogical responsibility
Doctoral candidates Grace A. Chen and Samantha A. Marshall, and Dr Ilana S. Horn, Professor of Mathematics Education, from the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University Peabody College, are investigating how teachers make sense of their pedagogical responsibility. During the course of their research, they record a conversation among teachers triggered by the question ‘for what?’ they teach […]
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Discovering perfect squares and building square roots
Mathematicians have been faced with the problem of finding perfect squares and their roots since ancient times. Recent findings in computational number theory have enabled the development of efficient algorithms for discovering square numbers. Professor Philip Brown from the Department of Foundational Sciences (Mathematics) at Texas A&M University Galveston Campus has developed a new algorithm that can detect a perfect […]
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Human learning: A story of identity and communication
Anna Sfard is a Professor Emerita at the University of Haifa, Israel. In her role as a learning scientist, she investigates relations between thinking and communication. Linking learning with the notion of identity, her work has already provided several innovative acumens including understanding how identities encompass culture in learning processes; the identification of emotions as a principal factor responsible for the […]
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Will an old problem yield a new insight? Perhaps an elegant proof of the 4 colour theorem?
The 4 colour problem is one of the most famous mathematical problems. It resisted proof for more than a hundred years before finally succumbing; in the end, there was a valid proof, but one that relied on more than a thousand hours of computer time. Jim Tilley’s research suggests that a dramatic simplification might ultimately be possible. He has discovered […]