RUME 27
2025
Alexandria, Virginia
Exploring the Concept Image and Concept Definition of Periodic Functions
Page: 405
This paper presents the results of a study where a student’s concept image and concept definition of periodic functions were explored. The findings suggest that a student thinks about periodic functions as visual repetition of patterns within a function’s graph. He also analyzes output values, particularly at distinguishable points such as maxima, to determine whether a function is periodic. His concept image and concept definition include the idea that a function’s period represents the length between any two points where the output values are the same and the pattern repeats throughout the domain.