Author: Elliot Benjamin

Numberama: Recreational Number Theory In The School System

eBook: US $19 Special Offer (PDF + Printed Copy): US $105
Printed Copy: US $95
Library License: US $76
ISBN: 978-1-68108-513-5 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-68108-512-8 (Online)
Year of Publication: 2017
DOI: 10.2174/97816810851281170101

Introduction

Numberama: Recreational Number Theory in the School System presents number patterns and mathematical formulas that can be taught to children in schools. The number theories and problems are reinforced by enjoyable games that children can play to enhance their learning in a fun-loving way. Key features of the book include:

  • - information about a number of well-known number theory problems such as Fibonaccci numbers, triangular numbers, perfect numbers, sums of squares, and Diophantine equations
  • - organized presentation based on skill level for easy understanding
  • - all basic mathematical operations for elementary school children
  • - a range of algebraic formulae for middle school students
  • - descriptions of positive feedback and testimonials where recreational number theory has been effective in schools and education programs

This book is a useful handbook for elementary and middle-school teachers, students, and parents who will be able to experience the inherent joys brought by teaching number theory to children in a recreational way.

Preface

It has been nearly 30 years since I began working on my Numberama book. However, in spite of the enormous developments in technology and social media over the past 30 years, the essential theme of my book remains intact. The essential theme is that mathematics can be a stimulating, challenging, and thoroughly enjoyable recreational mental activity to enhance and enrich substantial and creative thinking for children in our school system. As I describe in the Appendix, I have experienced a wide variety of appreciative and enthusiastic responses to my Numberama program over the years, ranging across teacher workshops, teacher education programs, children in gifted programs, children in regular classes, liberal arts college instruction, and family math workshops. I have also effectively utilized my Numberama program at a mental hospital for children, a senior citizen center, as a supplement in my algebra classes, and as an example of creative thinking in my psychology classes. Most recently, I found myself giving a “perfect number lesson” on a napkin at a restaurant at a spiritual development workshop I attended. I had the workshop presenter and some of the participants and staff enraptured, and I realized that Numberama is deeply ingrained in me, wherever I go and whatever I do. I am still a pure mathematician, and I practice what I preach. Doing mathematics for me is refreshing, stimulating, meditative, and enjoyable. I occasionally make use of technology to try to find examples of some of my pure mathematics algebraic number theory results, but this is always very secondary, as the priority is on my “thinking.” And this is the exact same philosophy I promote in my Numberama program in regard to the use of technology. Technology is a wonderful tool, but it is essential for the human being to be in control of the technology and not the other way around. Thus finding interesting, surprising, and enticing patterns of numbers, with the assistance of arithmetic calculators when the numbers invariable get very large, is a natural part of my Numberama problems. But what is most important here is the discovery of the patterns themselves, using technology to enhance the discovery.

With this in mind, I am excited to now be offering my Numberama book as an e-book through Bentham publications. I welcome feedback from anyone who is using my Numberama problems and games, and I hope that I have succeeded in transmitting the joys of searching for captivating patterns of numbers in my book.

Elliot Benjamin
Instructor of Mathematics at CAL Campus,
Psychology Mentor/Ph.D Committee Chair at Capella University,
Minneapolis,
USA

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