Proceedings of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education · Volume 1
Sara Julsgård
Linköping University
⬇ Download PDFThe concept of logarithms can be introduced through multiple mathematically equivalent yet conceptually different definitions, which may foreground different properties of the concept. This study investigates, using interviews, how research mathematicians relate such conceptualisations of logarithms. The result is a two-level model of meaning for the concept, distinguishing formal definition variants from facets of meaning and clustering definitions according to the mathematics to which they refer. The proposed model contributes a structure for the conceptual diversity of logarithms and offers a theoretical tool for research on the teaching and learning of logarithms.
Logarithmsconceptconceptualizationdefinitionssubject matter analysis