RUME 26
2024
Omaha, Nebraska
How Undergraduates Make Decisions When Co-Validating Mathematical Proofs
Page: 1303
Proof is vital to the work of mathematicians. We investigated how students in an introduction to proof course first come to understand the aspects of proof described by de Villiers (1990) when validating mathematical proof. Students in an introduction to proof course were put in small groups and asked to review sample arguments at various points throughout the semester. We use the definition of proof provided by Stylianides (2007) and focus on how students attended to the set of accepted statements (S), modes of argumentation (A), and modes of argument representation (R). Findings of this poster will include student quotes highlighting each of the aspects of the definition given by Stylianides as well as which aspects were prioritized at each point in the semester.