Articles
Number theory vs. Hungarian highschool textbooks: √2 is irrational
Published:
2016-12-01
https://doi.org/10.5485/TMCS.2016.0416
Authors
View
Keywords
License
Copyright (c) 2016 Petra Csányi, Kata Fábián, Csaba Szabó, Zsanett Szabó and Éva Vásárhelyi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How To Cite
Selected Style:
APA
Csányi, P., Fábián, K., Szabó, C., Szabó, Z., & Vásárhelyi, Éva. (2016). Number theory vs. Hungarian highschool textbooks: √2 is irrational. Teaching Mathematics and Computer Science, 14(2), 139-152. https://doi.org/10.5485/TMCS.2016.0416
Abstract
According to the Hungarian National Curriculum the proof of the irrationality of √2 is considered in grade 10. We analyze the standard proofs from the textbooks and give some mathematical arguments that those reasonings are neither appropriate nor sufficient. We suggest that the proof should involve the fundamental theorem of arithmetic.