PROCEEDINGS OF THE 18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2015
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Runner-Up: How do mathematics majors translate informal arguments into formal proofs
Page: 16
In this paper we examine a commonly suggested proof construction strategy from the mathematics education literature—that students first produce an informal argument and then work to construct a formal proof based on that informal argument. The work of students who produce such informal arguments when solving proof construction tasks was analyzed to distill three activities that contribute to students’ successful translation of informal arguments into formal proofs. These activities are elaborating, syntactifying, and rewarranting. We analyze how engaging in these activities relates to students success in proof construction tasks. Additionally, we discuss how each individual activity contributes to the translation of an informal argument into a formal proof.