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Chords, tangents and the Leibniz notation
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Tall, David (1985) Chords, tangents and the Leibniz notation. Mathematics Teaching, Vol.11 . pp. 48-52. ISSN 0025-5785.
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Abstract
In this article I continue my quest for “understanding the calculus” 1,2 by looking at a practical approach to the notion of a tangent and linking it to the Leibniz notation
dy/dx in a meaningful way. The latter is a bête noire for students: it looks like a quotient, it acts like a quotient, yet the seeds of a classic psychological conflict are sown in their minds when they are told it must not be thought of as a quotient. I shall discuss how this conflict may be resolved so that the chain law allows cancellation.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
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Subjects: | Q Science > QA Mathematics | ||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute of Education ( -2013) | ||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Mathematical notation, Calculus, Mathematics -- Study and teaching | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Mathematics Teaching | ||||
Publisher: | Association of Teachers of Mathematics | ||||
ISSN: | 0025-5785 | ||||
Official Date: | 1985 | ||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | Vol.11 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 48-52 | ||||
Status: | Not Peer Reviewed | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||
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