A short proof of Laplace's expansion theorem is given. The proof is elementary and can be presented at any level of undergraduate studies where determinants are taught. It is derived directly from the definition so that the theorem may be used as a starting point for further investigation of determinants.

This article presents two classroom episodes in which students were exposed to the value of asking questions and to the different roles played by proof in mathematics. The conversation in the two episodes is outlined in the article. The setting was a classroom of fifteen good high-school students, who were studying calculus. These episodes…

Perhaps next time teachers head towards the fundamental theorem of calculus in their classroom, they may wish to consider Fermat's technique of finding expressions for areas under curves, beautifully outlined in Boyer's History of Mathematics. Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665) developed some important results in the journey toward the discovery of the…