We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
The Influence of Computers and Informatics on Mathematics and its Teaching Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 April 2011
NEW POSSIBILITIES
As is written in many places in this book, the computer is a mighty mathematical tool, not only for mathematical research, but even more in the process of applying mathematics, or in the process of teaching and learning mathematics. In the following, we shall mainly concentrate on the new possibilities which the computer presents in the realm of calculus for users and future users of mathematics. By a user we understand somebody who is interested in mathematics merely (or mainly) because he uses mathematical models (in particular calculus models) to solve his (extra-mathematical) problems. Future users of mathematics are, for example, engineering students, but even those learning calculus in schools as part of a general education may be considered under this aspect.
New possibilities for the user
We first describe the changes in the mathematical knowledge and habits of the user of mathematics induced by the availability of sophisticated mathematical software to all who have to rely heavily on mathematical problem-solving such as engineers, natural scientists, etc. Whereas the widespread use of such systems (of hardware and software) may to a certain extent seem doubtful, the continuing decrease of prices and the development of powerful personal computers allows us to predict that they will be available on microcomputers not only in research areas, but also in smaller environments by the time, in three to five years, when our students start their professional careers.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
