Mathematical Idea Analysis: What Embodied Cognitive Science Can Say about the Human Nature of Mathematics.

This paper gives a brief introduction to a discipline called the cognitive science of mathematics. The theoretical background of the arguments is based on embodied cognition and findings in cognitive linguistics. It discusses Mathematical Idea Analysis, a set of techniques for studying implicit structures in mathematics. Particular attention is paid to everyday cognitive mechanisms such as image schemas and conceptual metaphors. Some implications for mathematics education are discussed.

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