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ERIC Number: EJ916547
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Mar
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0732-3123
EISSN: N/A
Envisioning the Infinite by Projecting Finite Properties
Ely, Robert
Journal of Mathematical Behavior, v30 n1 p1-18 Mar 2011
We analyze interviews with 24 post-secondary students as they reason about infinite processes in the context of the tricky Tennis Ball Problem. By metaphorically projecting various properties from the finite states such as counting and indexing, participants envisioned widely varying final states for the infinite process. Depending on which properties they attended to, some participants recognized contradictions arising from these infinite projections and sought to resolve the contradictions in non-dismissive ways. The findings indicate that increasing their meta-level awareness of the features of their mental constructions may help students overcome common difficulties with the infinite. (Contains 1 figure.)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A