On the Applications of the Genetic Decomposition of Mathematical Concepts -In the Case of $Z_n$ in Abstract Algebra-

수학적 개념의 발생적 분해의 적용에 대하여 -추상대수학에서의 $Z_n$의 경우-

There have been many papers reporting that the axiomatic approach in Abstract Algebra is a big obstacle to overcome for the students who are not trained to think in an abstract way. Therefore an instructor must seek for ways to help students grasp mathematical concepts in Abstract Algebra and select the ones suitable for students. Mathematics faculty and students generally consider Abstract Algebra in general and quotient groups in particular to be one of the most troublesome undergraduate subjects. For, an individual's knowledge of the concept of group should include an understanding of various mathematical properties and constructions including groups consisting of undefined elements and a binary operation satisfying the axioms. Even if one begins with a very concrete group, the transition from the group to one of its quotient changes the nature of the elements and forces a student to deal with elements that are undefined. In fact, we also have found through running abstract algebra courses for several years that students have considerable difficulty in understanding the concept of quotient groups. Based on the above observation, we explore and analyze the nature of students' knowledge about $Z_n$ that is the set of congruence classes modulo n. Applying the genetic decomposition method, we propose a model to lead students to achieve the correct concept of $Z_n$.