Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2602.03679

Footprints of the Walking of Numbers: A Dynamic Visualization Task for Understanding Decimal Numbers in Secondary Education

Felix De la Cruz Serrano
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The study of decimal numbers in secondary education is often approached from algorithmic perspectives, which limits students' understanding of their structure. This paper presents the task Footprints of the Walking of Numbers, a dynamic visualization proposal aimed at supporting the understanding of decimal numbers through the exploration of their infinite decimal expansions. The task is based on assigning vectors to the decimal digits from 0 to 9, so that the sequence of digits of a number generates a dynamic geometric path in the plane. Through the use of GeoGebra as a visualization environment, students can observe, compare, and interpret traces associated with different types of numbers, such as terminating decimals, repeating decimals, and irrational numbers, identifying visual regularities linked to their decimal behavior. The analysis is developed from a theoretical-didactical perspective, using the Mathematical Working Space as an interpretative lens to characterize the potential of the task design. In addition, the paper discusses the punctual use of generative AI tools exclusively as instrumental support for computation, without shifting the focus away from mathematical reasoning.

Explore related subjects

math.HO

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Felix De la Cruz Serrano. 2026-02-03. Footprints of the Walking of Numbers: A Dynamic Visualization Task for Understanding Decimal Numbers in Secondary Education. https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.03679

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Come for the vibe, stay for the math

This article describes our experiences in mathematical outreach over the past decade. We talk about specific activities, but also general principles that we've learned along the way.

math.HO↗
arXiv2026

Graduate Mathematics in the Age of AI: Forming Mathematicians for Original, Independent, and Responsible Inquiry

Artificial intelligence can increasingly produce plausible, sophisticated mathematical material faster than a developing graduate student can understand or verify it. A sophisticated result or paper draft therefore becomes weaker evidence of the student's own mathematical development. This creates a formation gap between output and personal capacity, and a trust gap between a convincing argument and warranted acceptance. The formation gap can persist even when the student understands the output: understanding a supplied argument does not by itself establish the capacity to initiate and direct inquiry. These gaps are not the whole story. AI can also help students explore examples, compare approaches, enter unfamiliar areas, and undertake ambitious research. The task is to design an apprenticeship that realizes these possibilities while developing substantive mathematical command. The central purpose of a mathematics PhD is to form mathematicians capable of original, independent, and responsible inquiry, including inquiry conducted with AI. This document develops that objective through four connected capacities: competence, judgment, independence, and responsibility. It distinguishes a work's contribution to mathematics from the evidence it provides of a student's formation; explains how a known answer can initiate rather than end creative inquiry; and proposes changes in learning activities, assessment, doctoral originality, advising, and institutional support. Purposeful independent work and ambitious AI-assisted research are complementary parts of the model. Its recommendations include proportionate contribution statements, recognition of advising costs, and staged pilots evaluating both mathematical ability and effective human--AI collaboration. The aim is not to preserve an inherited sequence of training, but to improve mathematical formation as mathematical practice changes.

math.HO↗