Maths education seminar: Lara Alcock on Reasoning about Mathematical ‘If-Then’ Statements
| Dates: | 25 September 2026 |
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| Times: | 11:00 - 12:00 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | Department of Mathematics |
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| Who is it for: | University staff |
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| Speaker: | Prof. Lara Alcock |
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Speaker: Prof Lara Alcock (Loughborough University)
Title: Reasoning about Mathematical ‘If-Then’ Statements
Abstract: Mathematics routinely uses ‘if-then’ statements to express theorems and conjectures, stipulating that a proposition ‘if A then B’ is false only if A is true and B is false. Everyday language routinely uses ‘if-then’ statements too, but there interpretations depend upon content and context. What does this mean for mathematics students? How do they interpret and reason with the statements they meet in undergraduate mathematics? This talk will shed light on this question, presenting empirical data from studies involving mathematical versions of conditional inference tasks used in cognitive psychology. It will also provide attendees with an opportunity to reflect upon whether professional mathematicians’ reasoning is always as ‘logical’ as we might think, and on how logical reasoning develops with mathematical expertise.
Speaker
Prof. Lara Alcock
Role: Professor in Mathematics Education
Organisation: Loughborough University
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
G.108
Alan Turing Building
Manchester
