Bartlett's Calculus Paper: Confusing Calculus Notation & Differentials

[jedishrfu]

TL;DR Summary

A mathematician says a notational mistake in Calculus can lead to misunderstanding when learning Calculus with respect to differential arithmetic

Bartlett’s Calculus Paper Reviewed in Mathematics Magazine

https://mindmatters.ai/2020/03/bartletts-calculus-paper-reviewed-in-mathematics-magazine/

Walter Bradley Center Fellow Jonathan Bartlett’s paper on fixing long-standing flaws in the teaching of elementary calculus was recently reviewed in Mathematics Magazine.

Bartlett (above left, with his recent book, Calculus from the Ground Up), is delighted that math professionals want to evaluate proposed changes in teaching practice. He tells us, “The review was mixed, but most importantly the reviewer didn’t disagree with the results, only their potential usefulness. Final sentence: ‘The authors make a strong case for a clear and honest notation that facilitates working with differentials, but the formula above is probably just as confusing for students as the shorthand expression.’”

 

[fresh_42]

I once entered the room of my professor at university and recognized a postal package addressed to Prof. xyz. Prof. xyz was the head of the didactics department, responsible for what happens in math at schools.

I wondered and asked: "Oh, you send xyz a package?" - "No," he answered, "that was mistakenly sent to me. I would only sent xyz a package which ticks."

The above article explains why.