This PPT prepared by Teacher Educator from Thiagarajar College of Preceptors Madurai for B.Ed Trainees.

1. Characteristics of Mathematics
S. Anbalagan,
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Thiagarajar College of Preceptors,
Madurai

2. Characteristics of Mathematics
1.logical sequence.
2.Abstractness.
3.Structure.
4.Precision.
5. symbolism.

3. Logical Sequence
Mathematics possess the characteristics namely logical sequence.
1.Mathematics learning proceeds form simple to complex.
2. Concrete to abstract
3. Dependence on earlier knowledge.

4. Examples for logical sequence
• The average age of 11 players of a cricket team is increased
by 2 months when two of them aged 18 years and 20 years
are replaced by two new players. The average age of the
new players is
(A) 19 years 1 month (B) 19 years 6 month
(C) 19 years 11 month (D) 19 years 5 month

5. Abstractness
• Mathematics does not deal with actual objects.
• It cannot be settled by direct appeal to experiment.
• Infinity is something that we can never experience
the value.
• Our whole thinking is based on the assumption that
are infinitely many numbers.
• Most of the mathematical concepts are such
concepts with concretisation and hence they are
abstract.

6. Example for Abstractness

7. Structure
• Generally structure denotes “ the formation, arrangement, and
articulation of parts in anything built up by nature or art”.
• A mathematical structure is a mathematical system with one or
more explicitly recognized properties.

8. Example of structure

9. Precision
• Mathematics is known as an “exact” science because of its precision.
• In mathematics the result are either right or wrong , accepted or
rejected.
• There is no midway possible between right or wrong.
• The precision of a measure or a computation is evaluated in terms of the
relative error or percent of error made.

11. Symbolism
• The language of communication of mathematical ideas is largely in
terms of symbols and words.
• Without language, we cannot talk about anything. Mathematical talk
consists of making use of mathematics symbolism.
• Understanding mathematics is realising what symbolism corresponds
to the structure that has been abstracted.