ERIC Number: EJ1124069
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0020-739X
EISSN: N/A
Students' Confusions with Reciprocal and Inverse Functions
International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, v48 n2 p278-284 2017
These classroom notes are focused on undergraduate students' understanding of the polysemous symbol of superscript (-1), which can be interpreted as a reciprocal or an inverse function. Examination of 240 scripts in a mid-term test identified that some first-year students struggle with choosing the contextually correct interpretation and there are students who use both interpretations in their solutions. Several students also confuse between composition and multiplication of functions denoted by resembling symbols of "o" and ".".
Descriptors: Misconceptions, Mathematical Aptitude, Mathematics Achievement, Undergraduate Students, Symbols (Mathematics), Problem Sets, Mathematical Formulas, Teaching Methods
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A