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Exponents: A Suggested Replacement for the Standard Treatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2016

T. W. Sampson
T. W. Sampson*
Affiliation:
T. A. Blakelock High School, Oakville, Ontario, Canada
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Extract

When Descartes invented and defined exponents about the year 1637, he did not foresee the use of exponents which are not natural numbers. As a result, the standard treatment found in High School Algebra texts developed. While it is correct mathematically, it is very unsatisfactory psychologically. The following treatment is suggested as an improvement.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Mathematical Gazette , Volume 49 , Issue 368 , May 1965 , pp. 189 - 191
Copyright
Copyright © Mathematical Association 1965

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