In recent years, changes in the Brazilian economic and social scenario have generated a growing demand for higher education in the country. In response to this new context, the federal government launched in 2007 a programme aiming at expansion of the enrolment to public higher education. In such environment of changes, several proposals have…

Gabriel's Horn is a solid of revolution commonly featured in calculus textbooks as a counter-intuitive example of a solid having finite volume but infinite surface area. Other examples of solids with surprising geometrical finitude relationships have also appeared in the literature. This article cites several intriguing examples (some of fractal…

Although proof comprehension is fundamental in advanced undergraduate mathematics courses, there has been limited research on what it means to understand a mathematical proof at this level and how such understanding can be assessed. In this paper, we address these issues by presenting a multidimensional model for assessing proof comprehension in…

Dynamic geometry software (DGS), such as Geometer's Sketchpad[TM], Cabri Geometry[TM], and GeoGebra[TM] has become a widely used classroom technology. The broad availability of DGS has given students the opportunity to engage in many aspects of reasoning and proof, including exploration, conjecture development, and proof, in its many roles. By…

When properly implemented, the vision of "Beyond Crossroads" will result in classrooms where students are actively engaged and responsible for their learning. They are able to share their thinking and the teacher, in turn, can use the emerging understanding as a foundation for learning. According to "Beyond Crossroads," students will be expected…

The purpose of this report is to examine results in mathematics for the ACT Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) in schools nationwide. EPAS consists of three programs: EXPLORE[R] (for students in grade 8 or 9), PLAN[R] (for students in grade 10), and the ACT[R] test (for students in grade 11 or 12). The following questions are…

Asserts that when college mathematics is taught as one of the liberal arts, Euclid's Elements of Geometry, which is one of the oldest math textbooks, may still be the best, because it helps students understand what is "lovely about mathematics". Suggests that "Elements of Geometry" promotes the mental exercise that comes from…

How current calculus textbooks consider the relationship between the tangent line and the derivative are discussed, with three theorems presented. (MNS)

The results of investigations into finite geometries, prompted by questions raised in a course for secondary school mathematics teachers, are presented. The discussion of points, lines, and incidences led to consideration of graphs of second-degree equations in finite projective planes. (MNS)

Recorded are some biographical data about the late professor Freudenthal along with some indications about his mathematical work. In an appendix, a tiny part of his mathematical work which can be explained in a fairly direct manner is discussed. (Author)

Instructions are given for building a flexible model used for illustrating an elliptic paraboloid, a parabolic cylinder, and a hyperbolic paraboloid. (DT)

Examples are given of problems which can be solved pictorially, thus aiding in the general development of geometric intuition and in developing some of the basic ideas of probability. (MP)

An example is given of a problem-solving approach by outlining the development of a generalization of the Pythagorean Theorem as applied to points on a unit circle. (MP)

The problem "Given three planar points, find a point such that the sum of the distances from that point to the three points is a minimum" is discussed from several points of view. A solution that uses only calculus and geometry is examined in detail. (MNS)

After a brief discussion of the history of mathematical astronomy, the author introduces problems concerning aspects and distances of the planets. The problems presented can be solved without use of trigonometry. (SD)