The approach to functions in mathematics textbooks before the Modern Mathematics Movement

Santos, Eduardo Gonçalves dos; Abreu, Kelyane Barboza de

doi:10.14393/che-v24-e2025-16

Resumo • Cad. Hist. Educ. 24 • 2025 • DOI: https://doi.org/10.14393/che-v24-e2025-16

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On-line version ISSN 1982-7806

Abstract

SANTOS, Eduardo Gonçalves dos and ABREU, Kelyane Barboza de. The approach to functions in mathematics textbooks before the Modern Mathematics Movement. Cad. Hist. Educ. [online]. 2025, vol.24, e2025-16. Epub Jan 12, 2026. ISSN 1982-7806. https://doi.org/10.14393/che-v24-e2025-16.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how Brazilian high school textbook authors appropriated the notion of function in the period leading up to the early 1960s, which coincides roughly with the emergence of the Modern Mathematics Movement. We will argue that this notion was appropriated by them in order to partially remedy a problem detected by Felix Klein in the teaching of mathematics in Germany: the phenomenon of Double Discontinuity. We will do this by analyzing a set of seven textbook collections that circulated in Brazil during the period in question.

Keywords : Functions; Textbook; Modern Mathematics..

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