PROCEEDINGS OF THE 22ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2019
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Intuition and mathematical thinking in a mathematically experienced adult on the autism spectrum
Page: 612
In this report, I examine the use of intuition by a mathematically experienced adult on the autism spectrum given a paradoxical mathematical problem involving infinity. I compare both his level of use of intuition and the importance he places on it against results from students in the general population. Interview results combined with previous data suggest that students on the autism spectrum are less likely to use approaches based in intuition, place less importance on intuitive ideas compared to other explanations, and may also have different views of the nature of intuition. Analysis of possible reasons for showing these differences and implications for teaching and further autism-related research are presented.