Mathematics Stack Exchange
Mathematics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [education]

For math questions related to the teaching and learning of mathematics. Note that Mathematics Educators Stack Exchange may be a better home for narrowly scoped questions on specific issues in mathematics education.

This tag is for questions that are primarily about mathematics, but are related to mathematics education. Also consider using the or the tag. On the other hand, questions that are primarily about teaching and learning mathematics would be a better fit for MathEducators.SE.

3309 questions
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Mathematics problems for very young children?

This is a tall order, but since this site is for everything mathematical, here goes: What are some nice games/puzzles/problems/problem-like activities that would be appropriate for a three-five year old? I ask this because I'm not particularly…
Jon Bannon
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39
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12 answers

Resources for a curious beginner mathematician

I have a friend whose experience of math in school was horrible (each teacher, she says, either left or was fired the year after she had them). I've been teaching her about various things: cantor's diagonal argument, irrationality of $\sqrt{2}$,…
luqui
  • 713
30
votes
10 answers

Explain why perpendicular lines have negative reciprocal slopes

I am not sure how to explain this. I just know they have negative reciprocals because one one line will have a positive slope while the other negative.
Maximiliano
  • 1,121
30
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6 answers

Why do new rules cause students to forget and misapply older rules?

I teach at a community college. I have taught everything from arithmetic to linear algebra. I have also taught at 4-year schools, but at present, I'm devoting my energies to the problem of helping remedial algebra students to succeed. I have…
futurebird
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28
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6 answers

Adult learner returning to maths

I've got a problem with regards to grasping and conceptualising mathematics. I've been out of education for around 15 years and was OK with maths in school. However, I missed a lot of high school due to health problems and didn't study a lot of…
Eunoia
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25
votes
2 answers

How should I approach the study of Linear Algebra?

I'm a second-year college student having just previously finished calculus (derivatives and integrals, we never really got too far into multivariable calculus though we briefly went over some Taylor Series stuff) and I'm taking Linear Algebra right…
Jason
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20
votes
2 answers

How to deal with exercises with no solutions given?

Probably most people will acknowledge the importance of doing exercises when reading a mathematical textbook. Here I am talking about a textbook of similar level as those ones listed in GTM. However, there is usually no solution avalible for those…
Zuriel
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20
votes
7 answers

How does advancing through the math major work?

I am an undergrad math major that just completed Calculus 3 last semester. This semester I signed up for Discrete Mathematics, and will be taking Intro to Advanced/Abstract Math next. Of course-- I expected the numbers and computation to be larger…
user152810
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19
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2 answers

What is so special about Arnold's Trivium?

I have read from Experimental Mathematics by V. I. Arnold that if someone wants to study with Vladimir Arnold, they must solve Arnold's Trivium first in order to "understand mathematics". Arnold himself had said that solving the Trivium was a way to…
HeMan
  • 3,119
19
votes
8 answers

How to explain brackets to young students

It's amazing how simple questions from young students can often uncover unexpected gaps in (at least my) knowledge, or at least the ability to explain. Today, a student asked me why she can "forget the bracket": $$ x+(x+5)=x+x+5 $$ Elementary…
Dahn
  • 5,574
18
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6 answers

Exciting games and material to motivate children to math

We are a group of people trying to motivate children, especially living in the countryside, to science and math. We have different activities with children such as doing scientific experiments and exploring robots. And I am responsible for the math…
petrichor
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18
votes
5 answers

Self-Paced Graduate Math Courses for Independent Study

Does anyone know of any graduate math courses that are self-paced, for independent study? I am a high school math teacher at a charter school in Texas. While I am quite happy with where I am right now, but my goal is to earn at least 18 graduate…
A.Magnus
  • 3,527
18
votes
8 answers

Why are epsilon-delta proofs difficult?

What conceptual difficulties do students learning epsilon-delta proofs have, or, why are the proofs difficult? Motivation I have to teach people and never found the epsilonistics particularly difficult, so I have trouble relating to the students and…
Tommi
  • 1,425
17
votes
7 answers

Difference between Pure and Applied Mathematics?

So, I have been looking into college courses to see what I want my major to be, and I noticed that M.I.T offers two specified types of Mathematics. Pure and Applied. What is the major differences in Pure vs. Applied and what are examples of each?
Hackaholic
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4 answers

I want to learn math! What should I read to advance my skill?

I am going to 10th grade now. My school deals with electrotechnics and computers (programming, hardware etc.) I was always good at math but not quite interested. Lately math became my obsession! Now I have a little problem which you could help me…
user13420
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