Centre for Science, Maths & Technology Education Research colloquium series.
Topic: How can we know whether it is a proof?
Presenter: Tommy Dreyfus, Tel Aviv University, Israel
When: 17 June 2008 (Tue), 5 - 6.30pm
Where: SG02/11 ground floor of the Humanities building opposite the main entrance, Clayton Campus
Proof is arguably what distinguishes mathematics most markedly from other domains of knowledge. Is it obvious what a proof is, and to whom? Mathematicians have asked some incisive questions about the nature and role of proof. Research results on students' conceptions of proof appear inconsistent: While the transition to deductive reasoning is possible already in elementary school, most high school students have a vague notion of proof, at best, and many teachers are uncertain about the status of non-algebraic arguments such as verbal, visual and generic ones. In this talk, I will raise the question where all this leaves us as mathematics educators.
