, MTE1501 Assignment 4 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE 31 August 2025
Question 1: Mathematics in Society (20 marks)
1.1 Define mathematics using the three views and give
examples (6 marks)
1. Instrumentalist / Toolbox View
o Definition: Mathematics is a set of tools or
techniques used to solve practical problems in
everyday life or other fields of study. It emphasizes
application rather than theory.
o Example: A Grade 9 learner uses ratios and
proportions to adjust a recipe when cooking for
more people. This shows how mathematics helps in
practical, real-world tasks.
2. Platonist View
o Definition: Mathematics exists as an abstract,
eternal truth independent of humans. Mathematical
objects and relationships exist in a perfect form, and
humans discover them rather than invent them.
o Example: A teacher demonstrates that the sum of
the angles in a triangle is always 180°, no matter the
triangle. This illustrates a universal truth that exists
independently of physical measurement.
ANSWERS) 2025 - DUE 31 August 2025
Question 1: Mathematics in Society (20 marks)
1.1 Define mathematics using the three views and give
examples (6 marks)
1. Instrumentalist / Toolbox View
o Definition: Mathematics is a set of tools or
techniques used to solve practical problems in
everyday life or other fields of study. It emphasizes
application rather than theory.
o Example: A Grade 9 learner uses ratios and
proportions to adjust a recipe when cooking for
more people. This shows how mathematics helps in
practical, real-world tasks.
2. Platonist View
o Definition: Mathematics exists as an abstract,
eternal truth independent of humans. Mathematical
objects and relationships exist in a perfect form, and
humans discover them rather than invent them.
o Example: A teacher demonstrates that the sum of
the angles in a triangle is always 180°, no matter the
triangle. This illustrates a universal truth that exists
independently of physical measurement.
