Last modified: 2015-09-01
Abstract
Eight years of experience in empowering mathematics school teachers had strengthened our conjecture that hermeneutics is all what has been neglected by teachers and lecturers (and therefore students) as well as researchers in mathematical field.
Mathematics is to be produced, not only learned. Without hermeneutics, it is difficult to see the beauty of someone’s mathematical thinking and thus to make its imitation then develop our own idea. However, hermeneutics is not separable from the history of mathematical inventions/discoveries. If learning the history would define the future, hermeneutics helps us to see the unseen hidden behind a mathematical statement.
Only with hermeneutics, teaching and learning mathematics and also research in mathematics could be flourishing and fruitful as expected. As mathematics deals with all possible worlds, a necessary condition in order for the students enable to develop their hermeneutical ability is to make sure that they have the “freedom” to use their mind during their intellectual adventure.
In teaching and learning mathematics, logic is important. But it is not enough. Imagination is far more important in developing the level of creativity and innovation in doing mathematics. In this paper, some simple examples will be addressed to illustrate the power of hermeneutics in developing mathematical creativity towards mathematical discovery/invention.