Resumen de Mathematics 101: reconsidering the axioms

Andy Begg

• In this article, I present some �axioms� that relate to undergraduate mathematics education. When I first heard the word axiom, it was defined as a �self-evident truth�; but an axiom is not a truth, it is a subjective assumption on which an argument or proof can be based. My purpose in presenting these axioms is to stimulate debate about undergraduate programmes by examining what we take for granted in terms of: our aims (stated or not); our ideas about teaching and learning; our understandings about our students; our views about mathematics and the topics we teach.