Learning The Art Of Mathematical Modelling

This book contains suggestions for and reflections on the teaching, learning and assessing of mathematical modelling and applications in a rapidly changing world, including teaching and learning environments. It addresses all levels of education from universities and technical colleges to secondary and primary schools. Sponsored by the International Community of Teachers of Mathematical Modelling and Applications (ICTMA), it reflects recent ideas and methods contributed by specialists from 30 countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe. Inspired by contributions to the Fourteenth Conference on the Teaching of Mathematical Modelling and Applications (ICTMA14) in Hamburg, 2009, the book describes the latest trends in the teaching and learning of mathematical modelling at school and university including teacher education. The broad and versatile range of topics will stress the international state-of-the-art on the following issues: Theoretical reflections on the teaching and learning of modelling Modelling competencies Cognitive perspectives on modelling Modelling examples for all educational levels Practice of modelling in school and at university level Practices in Engineering and Applications

This open access book is based on selected presentations from Topic Study Group 21: Mathematical Applications and Modelling in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics at the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME 13), held in Hamburg, Germany on July 24–31, 2016. It contributes to the theory, research and teaching practice concerning this key topic by taking into account the importance of relations between mathematics and the real world. Further, the book addresses the “balancing act” between developing students’ modelling skills on the one hand, and using modelling to help them learn mathematics on the other, which arises from the integration of modelling into classrooms. The contributions, prepared by authors from 9 countries, reflect the spectrum of international debates on the topic, and the examples presented span schooling from years 1 to 12, teacher education, and teaching modelling at the tertiary level. In addition the book highlights professional learning and development for in-service teachers, particularly in systems where the introduction of modelling into curricula means reassessing how mathematics is taught. Given its scope, the book will appeal to researchers and teacher educators in mathematics education, as well as pre-service teachers and school and university educators

In this book we describe the magic world of mathematical models: starting from real-life problems, we formulate them in terms of equations, transform equations into algorithms and algorithms into programs to be executed on computers. A broad variety of examples and exercises illustrate that properly designed models can, e.g.: predict the way the number of dolphins in the Aeolian Sea will change as food availability and fishing activity vary; describe the blood flow in a capillary network; calculate the PageRank of websites. This book also includes a chapter with an elementary introduction to Octave, an open-source programming language widely used in the scientific community. Octave functions and scripts for dealing with the problems presented in the text can be downloaded from https://paola-gervasio.unibs.it/quarteroni-gervasio This book is addressed to any student interested in learning how to construct and apply mathematical models.

Employing a practical, "learn by doing" approach, this first-rate text fosters the development of the skills beyond the pure mathematics needed to set up and manipulate mathematical models. The author draws on a diversity of fields — including science, engineering, and operations research — to provide over 100 reality-based examples. Students learn from the examples by applying mathematical methods to formulate, analyze, and criticize models. Extensive documentation, consisting of over 150 references, supplements the models, encouraging further research on models of particular interest. The lively and accessible text requires only minimal scientific background. Designed for senior college or beginning graduate-level students, it assumes only elementary calculus and basic probability theory for the first part, and ordinary differential equations and continuous probability for the second section. All problems require students to study and create models, encouraging their active participation rather than a mechanical approach. Beyond the classroom, this volume will prove interesting and rewarding to anyone concerned with the development of mathematical models or the application of modeling to problem solving in a wide array of applications.

Students of mathematics learn best when taught by a teacher with a deep and conceptual understanding of the fundamentals of mathematics. In Mathematical Models for Teaching, Ann Kajander and Tom Boland argue that teachers must be equipped with a knowledge of mathematics for teaching, which is grounded in modelling, reasoning, and problem-based learning. A comprehensive exploration of models and concepts, this book promotes an understanding of the material that goes beyond memorization and recitation, which begins with effective teaching. This vital resource is divided into 15 chapters, each of which addresses a specific mathematical concept. Focusing on areas that have been identified as problematic for teachers and students, Mathematical Models for Teaching equips teachers with a different type of mathematical understanding-one that supports and encourages student development. Features: grounded in the most current research about teachers' learning contains cross-chapter connections that identify common ideas includes chapter concluding discussion questions that encourage critical thinking incorporates figures and diagrams that simplify and solidify important mathematical concepts offers further reading suggestions for instructors seeking additional information

A basic introduction to Mathematical Modelling, this book encourages the reader to participate in the investigation of a wide variety of modelling examples. These are carefully paced so that the readers can identify and develop the skills which are required for successful modelling. The examples also promote an appreciation of the enormous range of problems to which mathematical modelling skills can be usefully applied.

The book aims at showing the state-of-the-art in the field of modeling and applications in mathematics education. This is the first volume to do this. The book deals with the question of how key competencies of applications and modeling at the heart of mathematical literacy may be developed; with the roles that applications and modeling may play in mathematics teaching, making mathematics more relevant for students.