Resumo

QUINTERO, Roy; RUIZ, Deyse  e  TERAN, Ruperto. Interpretations of the “x” symbol in polynomials. Educere [online]. 2006, vol.10, n.33, pp.315-326. ISSN 1316-4910.

This article has the analysis of research results that set out to investigate the many interpretations that both professors and students give the symbol “X”, which is used in scholarly environments to represent the concepts of “Variable ”, “Indeterminate” and “Unknown” within the polynomial unit in eight grade of primary education. The same symbol represents diferent mathematical objects, that is, “X” is used to represent the indeterminate in the “Polynomial Definition ”; the unknown in a “Polynomial Equation ” and the variable in a “Polynomic Function ”. To achieve this, the methodological approach used was ethnography.

Palavras-chave : “X” symbol; variable; indeterminate; unknown; interpretation.