Foundations of Number Systems
Study of number-related topics in middle-grade and secondary school mathematics. Topics include place value; meanings of arithmetic operations; analysis of computation methods; historical development of number concepts and notation; and rational, irrational, algebraic, transcendental, and complex numbers. Emphasis is on communicating mathematics, developing pedagogical understanding of concepts and notation, and using both informal reasoning and proof. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Topics
- place value
- meanings of arithmetic operations
- analysis of computation methods
- historical development of number concepts and notation
- and rational
- irrational
- algebraic
- transcendental
- and complex numbers
Topics explicitly listed in official catalogue description
Prerequisites & course information
Study of number-related topics in middle-grade and secondary school mathematics. Topics include place value; meanings of arithmetic operations; analysis of computation methods; historical development of number concepts and notation; and rational, irrational, algebraic, transcendental, and complex numbers. Emphasis is on communicating mathematics, developing pedagogical understanding of concepts and notation, and using both informal reasoning and proof. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027