Humanity mathematics education : revealing and clarifying ambiguities in mathematical concepts over the school mathematics curriculum

This study discusses how the humanity mathematics education can be realized in practice. The essence of mathematical concept is gradually disclosed revealing the ambiguities in the concept currently accepted and clarifying them. Historical development of mathematical concepts has progressed as such, exemplified with the group-theoretical thought and continuous function. In learning of mathematical concepts, thus, students have to recognize, reveal and clarify the ambiguities that intuitive and context-dependent definitions in school mathematics have. We present the process of improvement of definitions of a tangent and a polygon in school mathematics as examples. In the process, students may recognize the limitations of their thoughts and reform them with feelings of humility and satisfaction. Therefore this learning process would contribute to cultivating students' minds as the humanity mathematics education pursues.