## Which Mathematics for the Information Society?

Authors

João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Roland Backhouse and L. S. Barbosa

Status

Published in Teaching Formal Methods, Springer-Verlag, LNCS 5846, pp. 39—56 (proceedings of the 2nd Int. FME Conference on Teaching Formal Methods, TFM09, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, November 6, 2009)

Abstract

MathIS is a new project that aims to reinvigorate secondary-school mathematics by exploiting insights of the dynamics of algorithmic problem solving. This paper describes the main ideas that underpin the project. In summary, we propose a central role for formal logic, the development of a calculational style of reasoning, the emphasis on the algorithmic nature of mathematics, and the promotion of self-discovery by the students. These ideas are discussed and the case is made, through a number of examples that show the teaching style that we want to introduce, for their relevance in shaping mathematics training for the years to come. In our opinion, the education of software engineers that work effectively with formal methods and mathematical abstractions should start before university and would benefit from the ideas discussed here.

Keywords

calculational method, computer science education, problem solving, teaching mathematics, mathis

Bibtex entry
@incollection{jff*09:which-mathis,
author = {Ferreira, Jo\~{a}o F. and Mendes, Alexandra
and Backhouse, Roland and Barbosa, Lu\'{\i}s S.},
booktitle = {Teaching Formal Methods},
journal = {Teaching Formal Methods},
pages = {39--56},
series = {LNCS},
title = {Which Mathematics for the Information Society?},
volume = {5846},
year = {2009},
url = {http://joaoff.com/publications/2009/which-mathis}
}

Related
History
• 27 November 2009 — uploaded the slides of my talk in Eindhoven
• 2 August 2009 — uploaded the camera-ready version of the paper
• 10 July 2009 — notification of acceptance
• 26 June 2009 — uploaded the paper to this website
• 5 June 2009 — submitted the paper to publication