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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/N29280/02
Title: INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION OF MATHEMATICAL PROOFS
Principal Investigator: Cairns, Professor PA
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
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Department: Psychology
Organisation: UCL
Scheme: Fast Stream
Starts: 01 October 2001 Ends: 30 June 2002 Value (£): 34,756
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Cognitive Science Appl. in ICT
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Information Technologies No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Mathematical proofs serve many purposes. A proof, to be a proof at all, must be complete and accurate. However, this may make it too long to be readable or it may obscure, with unnecessary detail, key insights in to the underlying mathematical objects. Additionally, the majority of proofs omit entirely the heuristic details that led to the development of the proof in its final form because these would further extend the proof. Yet previous research indicates that these details reveal the creative ideas and motivations of mathematics. This research will investigate whether the conflicting considerations in presenting proofs can be resolved through using dynamic electronic media. Our collaborators at Oxford University will provide the materials from two undergraduate mathematics courses. Different interaction styles will be developed and interactive proofs based on the materials will implement the different styles. All implementations will be web-compatible for wide dissemination. Evaluation will be carried out to determine the usefulness and usability of the interaction styles. Further validation of the interaction will done by implementing research-level proofs and presenting these to the mathematical community.
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