by Isnayni Hadi If I were to ask you, “What is mathematical writing?” would you think of an equation or maybe a sequence of symbolic statements? Years of grade-school mathematics has trained us to make that association: math is just a series of solving equations. The curriculum requires us to take algebra, geometry, and a…
by Casia Siegel When you think about math, what do you think? What feelings does it invoke? What kinds of interactions have you had with it? As someone who does math just about every single day, many people have expressed to me the negative connotations they have associated with the subject. Lots of the time,…
by Nina Ryalls, Mathematics There’s a paradox at the heart of mathematical writing. Any communication between humans relies on connotations, inference, and assumptions; a communal well of ideas filled over centuries. Unfortunately, these are all things which mathematics hates. Because math is purely conceptual, imprecise concepts “break” math, and very quickly cause contradictions and chaos. Math needs…
by Greg Mitchell Ellison Many teachers (including good ones), in my observation, express cynical views of their students, or of the various difficulties of teaching. It’s a perfectly natural reaction to the alienating modes of engagement necessitated by the state of modern higher education; increasing class sizes mean less personal interaction with students, online teaching…