MICHAEL DE VILLIERS

Using dynamic geometry to expand mathematics

teachers understanding of proof
International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology
ISSN 0020739X print/ISSN 14645211 online # 2004 Taylor & Francis Ltd
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
DOI: 10.1080/0020739042000232556
However, proof has many other important functions within mathematics,
which in some situations are of far greater importance than that of mere verification.
Some of these are [24]:
. explanation (providing insight into why it is true)
. discovery (the discovery or invention of new results)
. intellectual challenge (the self-realization/fulfilment derived from constructing a proof)
systematization (the organization of various results into a deductive system
of axioms, concepts and theorems)
In addition, as pointed out in [7], most of the traditional strategies used in
geometry education to create doubt are highly questionable.