Tools and mathematics: Instruments for learning

Abstract

In Tools and Mathematics: Instruments for Learning, authors John Monaghan, Luc Trouche, and Jonathan M. Borwein devote 19 chapters, divided into four parts, to portraying various issues and developments related to tools, artefacts, and instruments with a focus on theoretical approaches. They present different theories, highlight how they relate to the use of tools in mathematics, and envisage future issues and trends. Chapters 6 and 11 appear at the end of Parts I and II, respectively. These chapters take the form of a dialogue between the three authors and include Richard Noss, who contributes his thoughts about the issues presented in each part. The authors provide an interlude in Chapter 16 and reflect on the future as it relates to the use of tools in the teaching and learning of mathematics.