RUME 25
2023
Omaha, Nebraska
“What makes it eigen-esque-ish?”: Eigentheory Development in a Quantum Mechanics Course
Page: 991
Eigentheory concepts are central in mathematics and physics; they serve multiple functions, such as symbolizing physical phenomena and facilitating mathematical computations. The words associated with eigentheory develop and vary over time (e.g., eigenvector, eigenstate), as do the associated symbols (e.g., Ax = λx, H|En> = En|En>). The focus of this study is how the concept of “eigen'' develops over time for a quantum mechanics classroom community. We analyze the public displays of form-function relations used in the classroom community (Saxe, 1999). In this preliminary report, we summarize the forms and functions identified in the first 19 class sessions and share progress on our analysis of shifts in the uses of forms and functions over time.