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Mathematics : modeling our world is a different kind of math book than you may have used, for a different kind of math course than you may have taken. In addition to presenting mathematics for you to learn, we have tried to present mathematics for you to use. We have attempted in this text to demonstrate mathematical concepts in the context of how they are actually used day to day. The word modeling is the key. Real problems do not come at the end of chapters in a math book. Real problems don't look like math problems. Real problems ask questions such as: how do we create computer animations? Where should we locate a fire station? How do we effectively control an animal population? Real problems are messy. 

Mathematical modeling is the process of looking at a problem, finding a mathematical core, working within that core, and coming back to see what mathematics tells you about the problem with which you started. You will not know in advance what mathematics to apply. The mathematics you settle on may be a mix of several ideas in geometry, algebra and data analysis. You may need to use computers or graphing calculators. Because we bring to bear many different mathematical ideas as well as technologies, we call our approach 'integrated'. 

Another very important and very real feature of this course is that frequently you will be working in groups. Many problems will be solved more efficiently by people working in teams. In today's world, this is very much what work looks like. You will also see that the units in this books are arrangd by context and application rather than by math topic. We have done this to reemphasize our primary goal: presenting you with mathematical ideas the way you will see them as you go on in school and out into the work force. There is hardly a career that you can think of in which mathematics will not play an important part and understanding mathematics will not matter to you. 


Didactics of mathematics --- Didactics of secundary education

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