• School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.375-399
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• 2008

Infinitesimal did not play an explicit role concerning definite integral in the textbook nowadays. But studies which investigate understanding of students on definite integral show that many students comprehend definite integral with infinitesimal. Formally infinitesimal is not taught at mathematics classroom, but many students identify definite integral as infinite sum of infinitesimals. This means that definite integral itself contains some structural elements that allow infinitesimal interpretation. In this study we investigate the role of infinitesimal In the historical development of partition-sum in definite integral, extract didactical issues concerning understanding of definite integral, and analyse Korean mathematics textbooks. Finally we propose some suggestions on the teaching of definite integral which contains the process of refinement intuition.

• School Mathematics
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.301-316
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• 2009

There are two distinct processes, definite integral and indefinite integral, in the integral calculus. And the term 'integral' has two meanings. Most students regard indefinite integrals as definite integrals with indefinite interval. One possible reason is that calculus textbooks do not concern the meaning in the relationship between definite integral and indefinite integral. In this paper we investigated the historical development of concepts of definite integral and indefinite integral, and the relationship between the two. We have drawn pedagogical implication from the result of analysis.