[Maths-Education] Re: References about the history of the symbol m for gradient of line

maths-education@nottingham.ac.uk maths-education@nottingham.ac.uk
Thu, 12 Sep 2002 12:51:17 +0200


Dear members

I was working with a group of high school teachers generating a concept for 
Functions, and one of them asked the group on the origin of the use of m as the 
gradient of a line.  The assumption was that we can predict that c is from the 
word constant.  Almost all our sessions on mathematics teaching have a bias 
towards history.

Thank you in anticipation

Mthunzi Nxawe
Rhodes University Mathematics Education Project
PO Box 94
Grahamstown
6140