AbstractAlgebraforTeachers:

ChallengesandOpportunities

GeoffBirky,JimFey,TimFukawaConnelly,
KadianHowell,andCarolinaNappAvelli
UniversityofMaryland

Mr.Joshi,whyisitthattheproductof
twonegativesisalwaysapositive?

0= 5+5
3(0)= 3(5+5)
0= (3)(5)+(3)(5)
0= (3)(5)+(15)
So (3)(5)= 15

 Challenges

Engagestudentsactivelyindoingmathematics
Developunderstandingandskillinproof
Developmathematicalhabitsofmind
Makerelevanttofuturesecondaryteachers
Developinsightintoschoolalgebra
Providemodelsofteachingpractice

 Opportunities:Selectionand
OrganizationofCourseContent

Presentproblemsratherthanresults
Developfromexamplestotheory
Explicitfocusonmathematicsasprocess
Emphasizeconnectionstoschoolalgebra
Lessmightbemore

 Opportunities:Restructuring
TeacherRolesandUseofClass

Askingquestionsmorethangivinganswers
Encouragediscourseamongstudents
Includediscussionofmathematicalhabitsof
mindaswellasmathematicalresults
Encouragereflectiononthinking
Refocusassignments,examinations,andgrading

 WhatMightItLookLike?
CourseContentandMaterials
Asetof84questionsthataskedstudentsto:
Analyzesituationsandlookforpatterns
Formulatedefinitionsandconstructexamples
Formulateandtestconjectures
Provetheorems

AnalyzeSituationsandLookforPatterns:

Question12:Comparethefamiliarpropertiesofnumber
systemstothoseofZ4,Z7,andZ12.
a. Aretherepropertiesthatholdineachofthefinitenumber
systems?
b. Aretherepropertiesthatholdinsomefinitenumber
systemsandnotinothers?
c. Aretherepropertiesthatholdforsomenumbersinafinite
numbersystembutnotforothers?
d. WhatissospecialaboutZ7andwhydoyouthinkthisfinite
numbersystemhasspecialproperties?

AnalyzeSituationsandLookforPatterns:
Question14:Explorelinearfunctionsin(Z4,+4,4).
a. Findallsolutionstoy=2x,y=2x+1,andy=2x+2
b. Plotthesolutionsona4x4coordinategrid.
y

c. Repeattheworkof(a)and(b)withZ7andZ12.
d. Howdotheresultsofyourworkin(a)(c)comparewith
whatyoumighthaveexpected?

 AnalyzeSituationsandLookforPatterns:

Question15:ConsiderdivisionandfractionsinZn.

a. FindstandardnamesforresultsofthesecalculationsinZ6:
23 23 32 1/32/3

b. FindstandardnamesforresultsofthesecalculationsinZ7
23 23 32 3/54/3

c. FindstandardnamesforresultsofthesecalculationsinZ12
78 87 3/74/5

d. Whatcausesdivisionandfractionstobehavedifferentlyin
differentZn?Whatcausesdivisiontobehavedifferently
thansubtractioninZ
n?
AnalyzeSituationsandLookforPatterns:

SymmetriesofanEquilateralTriangle

O
R0 R120 R240 D1 D2 D3
R0 R0 R120 R240 D1 D2 D3
R120 R120 R240 R0 D3 D1 D2
R240 R240 R0 R120 D2 D3 D1
D1 D1 D2 D3 R0 R120 R240
D2 D2 D3 D1 R240 R0 R120
D3 D3 D1 D2 R120 R240 R0

 AnalyzeDefinitionsandConstructExamples:

Question21:Whichofthesemathematicalsystemsaregroups?
a. Therationalnumberswithoperationa*b=(a+b)/2.
b. ThepointsofaplanewithoperationA*B=Casshowninthis
sketch:
C

A B

c. Thewholenumberswithoperationa*b=LCM(a,b).
d. The2x2matriceswithnonzerodeterminantandoperationof
multiplication.
FormulateandTestConjectures:

Question65:Considerthearithmeticsystems(Zn,+n,n).

a. Whichofthesemodulararithmeticsystemsare:
(1)rings;(2)ringswithunity;(3)commutative
rings;(4)integraldomains;(5)fields.

b. InanyparticularZn,howcanyoupredicttheelements
thatwillorwillnotbedivisorsof0?

c. InanyparticularZn,howcanyoupredicttheelements
thatwillorwillnothavemultiplicativeinverses?

Prototypicalexamples?
Question44:Theitemsheregivetwofamiliarfunctionsthat
areisomorphismsbetweenfamiliarnumbersystem
groups.Ineachcasedeterminethegroupsthatare
involvedandexplainhowyouknowthattheproposed
correspondenceisanisomorphism.
a. Thefunctionf(x)=2xisanisomorphismfrom___to____.
[Hint:Whatarethedomainandrangeofthefunctionf(x)?]

b.Thefunctiong(x)=log(x)isanisomorphismfrom____to
____.[Hint:Whatarethedomainandrangeofthefunction
g(x)?]

FormulateandTestConjectures:

Question46:Whichofthefollowingfunctionsdescribe
automorphismsoftheindicatedgroup?

a.Inthegroup(Z,+),isthefunctionf(x)=xan
automorphism?
b.Inthegroup(R>0,)ofpositiverealnumbersunder
multiplication:
1.Isf(x)=anautomorphism?
2.Isg(x)=x2anautomorphism?
3.Ish(x)=|x|anautomorphism?
4.Isj(x)=7xanautomorphism?
5.Isk(x)=1/xanautomorphism?

Whichofthosefunctionsareautomorphismsifthegroupof
positiverealnumbersisreplacedbythegroupofnonzero
realnumbers?
AnalyzeDefinitionsandConstructExamples:

a b
a bi
b a
cos sin
r(cos i sin ) r
sin cos

 ProveTheorems:

Question24:Evaluatethefollowingclaimsaboutproperties
ofallgroupsandprovidecounterexamplesorproofs.
a. Ifa,b,andcareelementsofgroupGandab=cb,
thena=c.
b. Ifa,b,andcareelementsofgroupGandab=bc,
thena=c.
c. IfaandbareelementsofgroupG,theequationax=b
hasauniquesolution.
d. IfaandbareelementsofgroupG,then(ab)2=a2b2.

HowwouldyouranswerschangeifGiscommutative?
 WhatMightItLookLike?
ActivitiesofaTypicalClassMeeting

Studentspresentanddefendresultsofindependentwork.
Newconceptsandproblemsintroducedwithexamples.
Studentsworkinsmallgroupstoexploreideasanalyze
andproduceexamples,evaluateconjectures,develop
proofs.
Studentspresentsuccessesfromimmediateworkonthe
newideasandproblems.

 StudentsWorkinSmallGroupstoExploreIdeas
Analyzeandproduceexamples,generateandevaluate
conjectures,andbegintodevelopproofs.

Inanyring(R,,)

a0=...

(a)b=...

(a)(b)=...

StudentsPresentSuccessesandAskQuestionsAbout
NewIdeasandProblemsBasedonTheirWork.

0 0 0
a(0) a(0 0)
a(0) a(0) a(0)
0 a(0)

StudentsPresentSuccessesandAskQuestionsAbout
NewIdeasandProblemsBasedonTheirWork.

a(0) a( a a) (0)a (1 (1))a

(1)a (1)a
a( a) a 2
a (1)a
So (1)a a
a a
2 2

0


StudentsPresentSuccessesandAskQuestionsAbout
NewIdeasandProblemsBasedonTheirWork.

A(0)=(0+0+0++0)[aaddendsof0]

 PatiencewithStudentsTeachesUs
Howmightwedefineafunctionfromthe8
elementgroupofsymmetriesofasquareontothe
2elementgroup(T,)whereT={1,1}sothat
theresultingmapisahomomorphism?

x:R0R90R180R270VHD1D2

f(x):

 Follow up conversations with
students about their experience:
He never really gave his thoughts, he always made us
give our thoughts. I dont think anyone felt
uncomfortable asking a question or saying wait a minute,
you lost me back there
Hes engaging the students and I 100% agree with that
and I hope to be doing that when Im a teacher.
It was very student directed. Dr. Fey would try
and keep a low profile, he was basically just
there to ask some questions and clear things up.
He wouldnt lecture and he would give us the
notes and expect us to discover the math.

 Follow up contd:
We worked in groups a lot. That happened way more
than him lecturing or, not just lecturing, but he didnt
promote discussion as people did it with each other. I
feel like it was really beneficial. I feel like some of the
other math classes are helpful but not completely
necessary. It was nice to have a unique way of
teaching since thats what Im gonna be doing

I think he basically wanted us to explore things

instead of just him teaching them to us he
wanted us to explore so that we could understand
them more.

 Questions?
Contact information:
Tim Fukawa-Connelly
Tim_fukawaconnelly@yahoo.com
Jim Fey
Jimfey@umd.edu
Other (former) graduate students also
available