Modeling Mathematical Ideas

Modeling Mathematical Ideas combining current research and practical strategies to build teachers and students strategic competence in problem solving.This must-have book supports teachers in understanding learning progressions that addresses conceptual guiding posts as well as students’ common misconceptions in investigating and discussing important mathematical ideas related to number sense, computational fluency, algebraic thinking and proportional reasoning. In each chapter, the authors opens with a rich real-world mathematical problem and presents classroom strategies (such as visible thinking strategies & technology integration) and other related problems to develop students’ strategic competence in modeling mathematical ideas.

"Nancy's in-depth look at mathematical modeling offers middle school teachers the kind of practical help they need for incorporating modeling into their classrooms." -Cathy Seeley, Past President of NCTM, author of Faster Isn't Smarter and Smarter Than We Think "This is the book that math teachers and parents have been waiting for. Nancy provides a comprehensive step-by-step guide to modeling in mathematics at the middle school level." -David E. Drew, author of STEM the Tide: Reforming Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education in America We all use math to analyze everyday situations we encounter. Whether we realize it or not, we're modeling with mathematics: taking a complex situation and figuring out what we need to make sense of it. In Modeling with Mathematics, Nancy Butler Wolf shows that math is most powerful when it means something to students. She provides clear, friendly guidance for teachers to use authentic modeling projects in their classrooms and help their students develop key problem-solving skills, including: collecting data and formulating a mathematical model interpreting results and comparing them to reality learning to communicate their solutions in meaningful ways. This kind of teaching can be challenging because it is open-ended: it asks students to make decisions about their approach to a scenario, the information they will need, and the tools they will use. But Nancy proves there is ample middle ground between doing all of the work for your students and leaving them to flail in the dark. Through detailed examples and hands-on activities, Nancy shows how to guide your students to become active participants in mathematical explorations who are able to answer the question, "What did I just figure out?" Her approach values all students as important contributors and shows how instruction focused on mathematical modeling engages every learner regardless of their prior history of success or failure in math.

This is a book about the nature of mathematical modeling, and about the kinds of techniques that are useful for modeling. The text is in four sections. The first covers exact and approximate analytical techniques; the second, numerical methods; the third, model inference based on observations; and the last, the special role of time in modeling. Each of the topics in the book would be the worthy subject of a dedicated text, but only by presenting the material in this way is it possible to make so much material accessible to so many people. Each chapter presents a concise summary of the core results in an area. The text is complemented by extensive worked problems.

Mathematical modeling is becoming increasingly versatile and multi-disciplinary. This text demonstrates the broadness of this field as the authors consider the principles of model construction and use common approaches to build models from a range of subject areas. The book reflects the interests and experiences of the authors, but it explores mathematical modeling across a wide range of applications, from mechanics to social science. A general approach is adopted, where ideas and examples are favored over rigorous mathematical procedures. This insightful book will be of interest to specialists, teachers, and students across a wide range of disciplines..

Modeling Students’ Mathematical Modeling Competencies offers welcome clarity and focus to the international research and professional community in mathematics, science, and engineering education, as well as those involved in the sciences of teaching and learning these subjects.

This timely resource fills a gap in existing literature on mathematical modeling by presenting both theory- and evidence-based ideas for its teaching and learning. The book outlines four key professional competencies that must be developed in order to effectively and appropriately teach mathematical modeling, and in so doing it seeks to reduce the discrepancies between educational policy and educational research versus everyday teaching practice. Among the key competencies covered are: Theoretical competency for practical work. Task competency for instructional flexibility. Instructional competency for effective and quality lessons. Diagnostic competency for assessment and grading. Learning How to Teach Mathematical Modeling in School and Teacher Education is relevant to practicing and future mathematics teachers at all levels, as well as teacher educators, mathematics education researchers, and undergraduate and graduate mathematics students interested in research based methods for teaching mathematical modeling.

Topics in Mathematical Modeling is an introductory textbook on mathematical modeling. The book teaches how simple mathematics can help formulate and solve real problems of current research interest in a wide range of fields, including biology, ecology, computer science, geophysics, engineering, and the social sciences. Yet the prerequisites are minimal: calculus and elementary differential equations. Among the many topics addressed are HIV; plant phyllotaxis; global warming; the World Wide Web; plant and animal vascular networks; social networks; chaos and fractals; marriage and divorce; and El Niño. Traditional modeling topics such as predator-prey interaction, harvesting, and wars of attrition are also included. Most chapters begin with the history of a problem, follow with a demonstration of how it can be modeled using various mathematical tools, and close with a discussion of its remaining unsolved aspects. Designed for a one-semester course, the book progresses from problems that can be solved with relatively simple mathematics to ones that require more sophisticated methods. The math techniques are taught as needed to solve the problem being addressed, and each chapter is designed to be largely independent to give teachers flexibility. The book, which can be used as an overview and introduction to applied mathematics, is particularly suitable for sophomore, junior, and senior students in math, science, and engineering.

Mathematical Modeling: Models, Analysis and Applications, Second Edition introduces models of both discrete and continuous systems. This book is aimed at newcomers who desires to learn mathematical modeling, especially students taking a first course in the subject. Beginning with the step-by-step guidance of model formulation, this book equips the reader about modeling with difference equations (discrete models), ODE’s, PDE’s, delay and stochastic differential equations (continuous models). This book provides interdisciplinary and integrative overview of mathematical modeling, making it a complete textbook for a wide audience. A unique feature of the book is the breadth of coverage of different examples on mathematical modelling, which include population models, economic models, arms race models, combat models, learning model, alcohol dynamics model, carbon dating, drug distribution models, mechanical oscillation models, epidemic models, tumor models, traffic flow models, crime flow models, spatial models, football team performance model, breathing model, two neuron system model, zombie model and model on love affairs. Common themes such as equilibrium points, stability, phase plane analysis, bifurcations, limit cycles, period doubling and chaos run through several chapters and their interpretations in the context of the model have been highlighted. In chapter 3, a section on estimation of system parameters with real life data for model validation has also been discussed. Features Covers discrete, continuous, spatial, delayed and stochastic models. Over 250 illustrations, 300 examples and exercises with complete solutions. Incorporates MATHEMATICA® and MATLAB®, each chapter contains Mathematica and Matlab codes used to display numerical results (available at CRC website). Separate sections for Projects. Several exercise problems can also be used for projects. Presents real life examples of discrete and continuous scenarios. The book is ideal for an introductory course for undergraduate and graduate students, engineers, applied mathematicians and researchers working in various areas of natural and applied sciences.

Mathematical Modelling for Teachers: Resources, Pedagogy and Practice provides everything that teachers and mathematics educators need to design and implement mathematical modelling activities in their classroom. Authored by an expert in Singapore, the global leader in mathematics education, it is written with an international readership in mind. This book focuses on practical classroom ideas in mathematical modelling suitable to be used by mathematics teachers at the secondary level. As they are interacting with students all the time, teachers generally have good ideas for possible mathematical modelling tasks. However, many have difficulty translating those ideas into concrete modelling activities suitable for a mathematics classroom. In this book, a framework is introduced to assist teachers in designing, planning and implementing mathematical modelling activities, and its use is illustrated through the many examples included. Readers will have access to modelling activities suitable for students from lower secondary levels (Years 7 and 8) onwards, along with the underlying framework, guiding notes for teachers and suggested approaches to solve the problems. The activities are grouped according to the types of models constructed: empirical, deterministic and simulation models. Finally, the book gives the reader suggestions of different ways to assess mathematical modelling competencies in students.

This book conceptualizes the nature of mathematical modeling in the early grades from both teaching and learning perspectives. Mathematical modeling provides a unique opportunity to engage elementary students in the creative process of mathematizing their world. A diverse community of internationally known researchers and practitioners share studies that advance the field with respect to the following themes: The Nature of Mathematical Modeling in the Early Grades Content Knowledge and Pedagogy for Mathematical Modeling Student Experiences as Modelers Teacher Education and Professional Development in Modeling Experts in the field provide commentaries that extend and connect ideas presented across chapters. This book is an invaluable resource in illustrating what all young children can achieve with mathematical modeling and how we can support teachers and families in this important work.