Aristotle’s Non-Logical Works and the Square of Oppositions in Semiotics

This paper aims to highlight some peculiarities of the semiotic square, whose creation is due in particular to Greimas’ works. The starting point is the semiotic notion of complex term, which I regard as one of the main differences between Greimas’ square and Blanché’s hexagon. The remarks on the complex terms make room for a historical survey in Aristotle’s texts, where one can find the philosophical roots of the idea of middle term between two contraries and its relation to notions such as difference, position and motion. In the Stagirite’s non-logical works, the theory of the intermediate, or middle term, represents an important link between opposition issues and ethics: this becomes a privileged perspective from which to reconsider the semiotic use of the square, i.e., its inclusion in the semio-narrative structures articulating the sense of texts.      

Designing a duo of material and digital artifacts: the pascaline and Cabri Elem e-books in primary school mathematics

This paper focuses on a duo of artifacts, constituted by a physical artifact and its digital counterpart. It deals with the theoretically and empirically underpinned design process of the digital artifact, the e-pascaline developed with Cabri Elem technology, in reference to a physical artifact, the pascaline. The theoretical frameworks of the instrumental approach and the theory of semiotic mediation together with the analysis of teaching experiments with the pascaline support the design in terms of continuity and discontinuity between the two artifacts. The components of the digital artifact were chosen from among the components of the physical artifact that are the object of instrumental genesis by the students and that are analyzed as having a semiotic potential that contributes to didactical aims. Components instrumented by students which had inadequate semiotic potential were eliminated. With the resulting duo, each artifact adds value to the use of the other artifact for mathematical learning.     

Embodied Semiotic Activities and Their Role in the Construction of Mathematical Meaning of Motion Graphs

This paper examines the relation between bodily actions, artifact-mediated activities, and semiotic processes that students experience while producing and interpreting graphs of two-dimensional motion in the plane. We designed a technology-based setting that enabled students to engage in embodied semiotic activities and experience two modes of interaction: 2D freehand motion and 2D synthesized motion, designed by the composition of single variable function graphs. Our theoretical framework combines two perspectives: the embodied approach to the nature of mathematical thinking and the Vygotskian notion of semiotic mediation. The article describes in detail the actions, gestures, graph drawings, and verbal discourse of one pair of high school students and analyzes the social semiotic processes they experienced. Our analysis shows how the computerized artifacts and the students’ gestures served as means of semiotic mediation. Specifically, they supported the interpretation and the production of motion graphs; they mediated the transition between an individual’s meaning of mathematical signs and culturally accepted mathematical meaning; and they enable linking bodily actions with formal signs.     

Where There's a Model,There's a Metaphor: Metaphorical Thinking in Students' Understanding of a Mathematical Model

The central question addressed in this article concerns the ways in which applied problem situations provide distinctive conditions to support the production of meaning and the understanding of mathematical topics. In theoretical terms, a first approach is rooted in C. S. Peirce's perspective on semiotic mediation, and it represents a standpoint from which the notion of interpretation is taken as essential to learning. A second route explores metaphorical thinking and undertakes the position according to which human understanding is metaphorical in its own nature. The connection between the two perspectives becomes a fundamental issue, and it entails the conception of some hybrid constructs. Finally, the analysis of empirical data suggests that the activity on applied situations, as it fosters metaphorical thinking, offer students' reasoning a double anchoring (or a duplication of references) for mathematical concepts.     

Word problem solving and pictorial representations: insights from an exploratory study in kindergarten

The aim of this study was to investigate how pictorial representations with different semiotic characteristics affect additive word problem solving by kindergartners. The focus of the study is on three categories of additive problems (change problems, combine problems and equalize problems) and on representational pictures with different semiotic characteristics: (a) pictures in which the problem quantities are represented in pictorial form, that is, as groups of illustrated objects (PP pictures), (b) pictures in which the quantities are represented partly in pictorial form and in symbolic form (PS pictures), and (c) pictures in which the quantities are represented in symbolic form (SS pictures). Data were collected from 63 kindergartners using a paper-and-pencil test. Results showed that the semiotic characteristics of representational pictures had a strong and significant effect on performance. Children’s performance was higher in the problems with PP pictures but declined in the problems with PS and SS pictures. However, the differences in children’s performance across the problems with different representational format varied between the problem categories and their mathematical structures. The semiotic characteristics of representational pictures had an important role in the establishment of close relations between children’s solutions in problems in different categories. Detailed analysis of children’s answers to the problems revealed a number of picture-related difficulties. Findings are discussed and directions for future research are drawn considering the methodological limitations of the study.     

A brief historical introduction to Euler's formula for polyhedra,topology, graph theory and networks

This article is essentially devoted to a brief historical introduction to Euler's formula for polyhedra, topology, theory of graphs and networks with many examples from the real-world. Celebrated Königsberg seven-bridge problem and some of the basic properties of graphs and networks for some understanding of the macroscopic behaviour of real physical systems are included. We also mention some important and modern applications of graph theory or network problems from transportation to telecommunications. Graphs or networks are effectively used as powerful tools in industrial, electrical and civil engineering, communication networks in the planning of business and industry. Graph theory and combinatorics can be used to understand the changes that occur in many large and complex scientific, technical and medical systems. With the advent of fast large computers and the ubiquitous Internet consisting of a very large network of computers, large-scale complex optimization problems can be modelled in terms of graphs or networks and then solved by algorithms available in graph theory. Many large and more complex combinatorial problems dealing with the possible arrangements of situations of various kinds, and computing the number and properties of such arrangements can be formulated in terms of networks. The Knight's tour problem, Hamilton's tour problem, problem of magic squares, the Euler Graeco-Latin squares problem and their modern developments in the twentieth century are also included.     

Analytical prediction of Young's modulus of carbon nanotubes using a variational method

Molecular mechanics and solid mechanics are linked to establish, a nanoscale analytical continuum theory for determination of stiffness and Young's modulus of carbon nanotubes. A space-frame structure consisted of representative unit cells has been introduced to describe the mechanical response of carbon nanotubes to the applied loading. According to this assumption a novel unit cell, given the name mechanical unit cell here is introduced to construct a graphene sheet or the wall of the carbon nanotubes. Incorporating the Morse potential function with the strain energy of the mechanical unit cells in a carbon nanotube is the key point of this study. The structural model of the carbon nanotube is solved to obtain its Young's modulus by using the principle of minimum total potential energy. It was found that the Young's modulus of the zigzag and armchair single-walled carbon nanotubes are 1.42 and 1.30 TPa, respectively. The results indicate sensitivity of the stiffness and Young's modulus of carbon nanotubes to chirality but show no dependence on its diameter. The presented analytical investigation provides a very simple approach to predict the Young's modulus of carbon nanotubes and the obtained results are in good agreement with the existing experimental and theoretical data.     

Young children’s multimodal mathematical explanations

This paper investigates how three children provided mathematical explanations whilst playing with a set of glass jars in a Swedish preschool. Using the idea of semiotic bundles combined with the work on multimodal interactions, the different semiotic resources used individually and in combinations by the children are described. Given that the children were developing their verbal fluency, it was not surprising to find that they also included physical arrangements of the jars and actions to support their explanations. Hence, to produce their explanations of different attributes such as thin and sameness, the children drew on each other’s gestures and actions with the jars. This research has implications for how the relationship between verbal language and gestures can be viewed in regard to young children’s explanations.     

An Introduction to The Lie–Santilli Isotopic Theory

Lie's theory in its current formulation is linear, local and canonical. As such, it is not applicable to a growing number of non-linear, non-local and non-canonical systems which have recently emerged in particle physics, superconductivity, astrophysics and other fields. In this paper, which is written by a physicist for mathematicians, we review and develop a generalization of Lie's theory proposed by the Italian–American physicist R. M. Santilli back in 1978 when at the Department of Mathematics of Harvard University and today called Lie–Santilli isotheory. The latter theory is based on the so-called isotopies which are non-linear, non-local and non-canonical maps of any given linear, local and canonical theory capable of reconstructing linearity, locality and canonicity in certain generalized spaces and fields. The emerging Lie–Santilli isotheory is remarkable because it preserves the abstract axioms of Lie's theory while being applicable to non-linear, non-local and non-canonical systems. After reviewing the foundations of the Lie–Santilli isoalgebras and isogroups, and introducing seemingly novel advances in their interconnections, we show that the Lie–Santilli isotheory provides the invariance of all infinitely possible (well-behaved), non-linear, non-local and non-canonical deformations of conventional Euclidean, Minkowskian or Riemannian invariants. We also show that the non-linear, non-local and non-canonical symmetry transformations of deformed invariants are easily computable from the linear, local and canonical symmetry transforms of the original invariants and the given deformation. We then briefly indicate a number of applications of the isotheory in various fields. Numerous rather fundamental and intriguing, open mathematical and physical problems are indicated during the course of our analysis.     

Nonlinear flexural vibrations of composite shallow open shells

This paper addresses geometrically nonlinear flexural vibrations of open doubly curved shallow shells composed of three thick isotropic layers. The layers are perfectly bonded, and thickness and linear elastic properties of the outer layers are symmetrically arranged with respect to the middle surface. The outer layers and the central layer may exhibit extremely different elastic moduli with a common Poisson's ratio ν. The considered shell structures of polygonal planform are hard hinged supported with the edges fully restraint against displacements in any direction. The kinematic field equations are formulated by layerwise application of a first order shear deformation theory. A modification of Berger's theory is employed to model the nonlinear characteristics of the structural response. The continuity of the transverse shear stress across the interfaces is specified according to Hooke's law, and subsequently the equations of motion of this higher order problem can be derived in analogy to a homogeneous single-layer shear deformable shallow shell. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Semiotic mediation: fragments from a classroom experiment on the coordination of spatial perspectives

In this paper, I shall discuss some fragments from a teaching experiment on the coordination of spatial perspectives, carried out in several 1st and 2nd grade classrooms over the last twenty years and now being tested also in pre-primary schools. The experiment is framed by an interpretation of semiotic mediation after a Vygotskian perspective (Bartolini Bussi and Mariotti 2007), where drawing, language (in both its oral and written form), gestures and symbolic play are related to each other. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first, some data from the experiment are presented to describe the long term process of internalization of tools in real life drawing, considered as a problem solving task. In the second part, the outcomes will be reconsidered to describe a theoretical perspective, common to other teaching experiments, for the realization of processes of semiotic mediation in the mathematics classroom.     

Introducing students to geometric theorems: how the teacher can exploit the semiotic potential of a DGS

Since their appearance new technologies have raised many expectations about their potential for innovating teaching and learning practices; in particular any didactical software, such as a Dynamic Geometry System (DGS) or a Computer Algebra System (CAS), has been considered an innovative element suited to enhance mathematical learning and support teachers’ classroom practice. This paper shows how the teacher can exploit the potential of a DGS to overcome crucial difficulties in moving from an intuitive to a deductive approach to geometry. A specific intervention will be presented and discussed through examples drawn from a long-term teaching experiment carried out in the 9th and 10th grades of a scientific high school. Focusing on an episode through the lens of a semiotic analysis we will see how the teacher’s intervention develops, exploiting the semiotic potential offered by the DGS Cabri-Géomètre. The semiotic lens highlights specific patterns in the teacher’s action that make students’ personal meanings evolve towards the mathematical meanings that are the objective of the intervention.     

The Tabular Mode: Not Just Another Way to Represent a Function

Understanding mathematical functions as systematic processes involving the covariation of related variables is foundational in learning mathematics. In this article, findings are reported from two investigations examining students' thinking processes with functions. The first study focused on seven middle school students' explorations with a dynamic physical model. Students were videotaped during the 20‐ to 45‐minute sessions occurring two or three times per week over a period of 2 months, and students' written work was collected. The second investigation included 19 preservice elementary and middle school teachers enrolled in a course focusing on a combination of mathematical content and pedagogy. Participants' written problem‐solving work and reflective writing were collected, and participants were individually interviewed in 50‐minute videotaped sessions. Results from both investigations indicated that students often relied on a table, or some variation of a table, as a cognitive link advancing the development of their reasoning about underlying function relationships.     

Numerical analysis of wave propagation in fluid-filled deformable tubes

The theory of Biot describing wave propagation in fluid saturated porous media is a good effective approximation of a wave induced in a fluid-filled deformable tube. Nonetheless, it has been found that Biot's theory has shortcomings in predicting the fast P-wave velocities and the amount of intrinsic attenuation. These problems arises when complex mechanical interactions of the solid phase and the fluid phase in the micro-scale are not taken into account. In contrast, the approach proposed by Bernabe does take into account micro-scopic interaction between phases and therefore poses an interesting alternative to Biot's theory. A Wave propagating in a deformable tube saturated with a viscous fluid is a simplified model of a porous material, and therefore the study of this geometry is of great interest. By using this geometry, the results of analytical and numerical results have an easier interpretation and therefore can be compared straightforward. Using a Finite Difference viscoelastic wave propagation code, the transient response was simulated. The wave source was modified with different characteristic frequencies in order to gain information of the dispersion relation. It was found that the P-wave velocities of the simulations at sub-critical frequencies closely match those of Bernabe's solution, but at over-critical frequencies they come closer to Biot's solution. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A new approach to the description of the deformation kinetics and relaxation of mechanical properties of oriented polymers

The reduction of Young's modulus and stress as well as the creep rate of highly oriented polymers with different chemical structure has been investigated. The kinetics of these processes are described by Arrhenius-type equations having the same activation parameters. The deformation and relaxation processes were assumed identical in their physical nature and functions of thermal fluctuation. Evidence for this assumption was obtained by investigating spectroscopically excited extended interatomic bonds of the macromolecules. The generation of excited bonds was found to determine the kinetics of these macroscopic processes in polymers.     

Item efficiency: an item response theory parameter with applications for improving the reliability of mathematics assessment

Many large universities, community colleges and some smaller four-year colleges are turning to hybrid or online instruction for remedial and entry level mathematics courses, often assessed using online exams in a proctored computer lab environment. Faculty face the task of choosing questions from a publisher's text bank with very little, if any, background in test theory and design. We present a new item parameter, item efficiency, that is calculated from the results of an item response theory analysis of a comprehensive college algebra final examination and show that this new parameter may be used to identify items better suited for similar comprehensive final assessments. Further, by relating Item Efficiency to classical test theory item statistics, we propose guidelines that can be used to identify suitable items prior to testing with little or no background in psychometric theory.     

Learning about multiplication by comparing algorithms: “One times one,but actually they are ten times ten”

Multiplication algorithms in primary school are still frequently introduced with little attention to meaning. We present a case study focusing on a third grade class that engaged in comparing two algorithms and discussing “why they both work”. The objectives of the didactical intervention were to foster students' development of mathematical meanings concerning multiplication algorithms, and their development of an attitude to judge and compare the value and efficiency of different algorithms. Underlying hypotheses were that it is possible to promote the simultaneous unfolding of the semiotic potential of two algorithms, considered as cultural artifacts, with respect to the objectives of the didactical intervention, and to establish a fruitful synergy between the two algorithms. As results, this study sheds light onto the new theoretical construct of “bridging sign”, illuminating students’ meaning-making processes involving more than one artifact; and it provides important insight into the actual unfolding of the hypothesized potential of the algorithms.