caa a22 4500 463246632 CHVBK 20180405153327.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170326e20070601xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10763-006-9050-y doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10763-006-9050-y Parameswaran Revathy Graduate Student, Chennai Mathematical Institute, SIPCOT IT Park, D-19 Padur P.O., 603103, Siruseri, Tamil Nadu, India aut On Understanding the Notion of Limits and Infinitesimal Quantities [Elektronische Daten] [Revathy Parameswaran] In this paper we explore the influence of students' personalized notion of ‘small' numbers based on real life experiences on their understanding of limits. Tests were conducted on two samples of students. The first sample, consisting of students in the XII grade, had been taught limits using an informal approach (i.e., without recourse to the $$ \in - \delta $$ definition) and the second sample, consisting of first year undergraduates, had been taught the formal $$ \in - \delta $$ definition of limits. Our research points out that most students in both samples round off to zero such ‘small numbers' while evaluating limits wherever such numbers might occur because they perceive limit as a process of approximation. National Science Council, Taiwan, 2006 approximations nationallicence formal and informal definitions nationallicence graphical representations nationallicence limits nationallicence International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education Kluwer Academic Publishers 5/2(2007-06-01), 193-216 1571-0068 5:2<193 2007 5 10763 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-006-9050-y text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-006-9050-y text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 100 1- Parameswaran Revathy Graduate Student, Chennai Mathematical Institute, SIPCOT IT Park, D-19 Padur P.O., 603103, Siruseri, Tamil Nadu, India aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education Kluwer Academic Publishers 5/2(2007-06-01), 193-216 1571-0068 5:2<193 2007 5 10763 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer