The University of Montana
Mathematical Sciences Colloquium

Formal mathematical definitions are among the most important tools in mathematics. The purpose of this talk is to discuss the results of a study that investigated undergraduate mathematics majors' understanding and use of formal definitions in real analysis.

The results showed that even good students did not necessarily fully appreciate the role of formal definitions in mathematics and that this factor as well as students' sometimes incomplete conceptual understandings influenced their ability to understand and use formal definitions in a mathematically acceptable way.

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