Mathematics and the Body


Book Description

This book expands the landscape of research in mathematics education by analyzing how the body influences mathematical thinking.




Math on the Move


Book Description

"Kids love to move. But how do we harness all that kinetic energy effectively for math learning? In Math on the Move, Malke Rosenfeld shows how pairing math concepts and whole body movement creates opportunities for students to make sense of math in entirely new ways. Malke shares her experience creating dynamic learning environments by: exploring the use of the body as a thinking tool, highlighting mathematical ideas that are usefully explored with a moving body, providing a range of entry points for learning to facilitate a moving math classroom. ..."--Publisher description.




Applied Mathematics: Body and Soul


Book Description

Applied Mathematics: Body & Soul is a mathematics education reform project developed at Chalmers University of Technology and includes a series of volumes and software. The program is motivated by the computer revolution opening new possibilitites of computational mathematical modeling in mathematics, science and engineering. It consists of a synthesis of Mathematical Analysis (Soul), Numerical Computation (Body) and Application. Volumes I-III present a modern version of Calculus and Linear Algebra, including constructive/numerical techniques and applications intended for undergraduate programs in engineering and science. Further volumes present topics such as Dynamical Systems, Fluid Dynamics, Solid Mechanics and Electro-Magnetics on an advanced undergraduate/graduate level. The authors are leading researchers in Computational Mathematics who have written various successful books.




Poincare and the Three Body Problem


Book Description

Poincare's famous memoir on the three body problem arose from his entry in the competition celebrating the 60th birthday of King Oscar of Sweden and Norway. His essay won the prize and was set up in print as a paper in Acta Mathematica when it was found to contain a deep and critical error. In correcting this error Poincare discovered mathematical chaos, as is now clear from June Barrow-Green's pioneering study of a copy of the original memoir annotated by Poincare himself, recently discovered in the Institut Mittag-Leffler in Stockholm. Poincare and the Three Body Problem opens with a discussion of the development of the three body problem itself and Poincare's related earlier work. The book also contains intriguing insights into the contemporary European mathematical community revealed by the workings of the competition. After an account of the discovery of the error and a detailed comparative study of both the original memoir and its rewritten version, the book concludes with an account of the final memoir's reception, influence and impact, and an examination of Poincare's subsequent highly influential work in celestial mechanics.




Physics and Mathematics of Quantum Many-Body Systems


Book Description

This book is a self-contained advanced textbook on the mathematical-physical aspects of quantum many-body systems, which begins with a pedagogical presentation of the necessary background information before moving on to subjects of active research, including topological phases of matter. The book explores in detail selected topics in quantum spin systems and lattice electron systems, namely, long-range order and spontaneous symmetry breaking in the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model in two or higher dimensions (Part I), Haldane phenomena in antiferromagnetic quantum spin chains and related topics in topological phases of quantum matter (Part II), and the origin of magnetism in various versions of the Hubbard model (Part III). Each of these topics represents certain nontrivial phenomena or features that are invariably encountered in a variety of quantum many-body systems, including quantum field theory, condensed matter systems, cold atoms, and artificial quantum systems designed for future quantum computers. The book’s main focus is on universal properties of quantum many-body systems. The book includes roughly 50 problems with detailed solutions. The reader only requires elementary linear algebra and calculus to comprehend the material and work through the problems. Given its scope and format, the book is suitable both for self-study and as a textbook for graduate or advanced undergraduate classes.




Mathematics and the Body


Book Description

This book explores alternative ways to consider the relationship between mathematics and the material world. Drawing on the philosophy of Gilles Châtelet and the post-humanist materialism of Karen Barad, the authors present an 'inclusive materialist' approach to studying mathematics education. This approach offers a fresh perspective on human and nonhuman bodies, challenging current assumptions about the role of the senses, language, and ability in teaching and learning mathematics. Each chapter provides empirical examples from the classroom that demonstrate how inclusive materialism can be applied to a wide range of concerns in the field. The authors analyze recent studies on students' gestures, expressions, and drawings in order to establish a link between mathematical activity and mathematical concepts. Mathematics and the Body expands the landscape of research in mathematics education and will be an essential resource for teachers, students, and researchers alike.







The Construction of Mathematics


Book Description

Is mathematics created or discovered? The answer has been debated for centuries. This book answers the question clearly and decisively by applying the concept of language games, invented by the philosopher Wittgenstein to solve difficult philosophical issues. Using the results of modern brain science, the book also explains how it is possible that eminent mathematicians and scientists offer diametrically opposed answers to the question of creation vs. discovery. Interested in the topic but intimidated by mathematics? Not to worry. If you are familiar with the elementary operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, you can follow the arguments of this book.







Rehumanizing Mathematics for Black, Indigenous, and Latinx Students


Book Description

Mathematics education will never truly improve until it adequately addresses those students whom the system has most failed. The 2018 volume of Annual Perspectives in Mathematics Education (APME) series showcases the efforts of classroom teachers, school counselors and administrators, teacher educators, and education researchers to ensure mathematics teaching and learning is a humane, positive, and powerful experience for students who are Black, Indigenous, and/or Latinx. The book's chapters are grouped into three sections: Attending to Students' Identities through Learning, Professional Development That Embraces Community, and Principles for Teaching and Teacher Identity. To turn our schools into places where children who are Indigenous, Black, and Latinx can thrive, we need to rehumanize our teaching practices. The chapters in this volume describe a variety of initiatives that work to place these often marginalized students--and their identities, backgrounds, challenges, and aspirations--at the center of mathematics teaching and learning. We meet teachers who listen to and learn from their students as they work together to reverse those dehumanizing practices found in traditional mathematics education. With these examples as inspiration, this volume opens a conversation on what mathematics educators can do to enable Latinx, Black, and Indigenous students to build on their strengths and fulfill their promise.