The Many Uses of Algebraic Variables

Abstract

The concept of variable is one of the most fundamental ideas in mathematics from elementary school through college (Davis 1964; Hirsch and Lappan 1989). This concept is so important that its invention constituted a turning point in the history of mathematics (Rajaratnam 1957). However, research indicates that students experience difficulty with the concept of variable, a difficulty that might partially be explained by the fact that within mathematics, variables can be used in many different ways (Rosnick 1981; Schoenfeld and Arcavi 1988; Wagner 1983).