Abstract:

The study of complex variables allows advances in several scientific and technological areas, with emphasis on areas such as astronomy and quantum physics. Relevant discoveries in these areas occurred through advanced studies in Complex Analysis.

But when considering teaching the concepts of complex variables, numerous challenges arise. In Brazil, where this project was developed, the teaching of complex numbers in basic education can occur superficially and make it impossible for the student to have solid and effective knowledge that allows him to take new directions within an academic career, for example. The National Curriculum Parameters provide that these concepts can be treated flexibly in school curricula, as they end up becoming meaningless to students who do not continue studying in the area. Higher level studies indicate a deficit in differentiated approaches to subjects involving complex numbers. Thus, in the search for new ways to teach these concepts and to arouse interest and understanding in the subject among students, we sought to investigate new forms of graphic visualization for functions of complex variables.

In this study we present the results of the first tests with a graphical plotting software, under development, which makes it possible to visualize the graph of some elementary functions of complex variables and their respective derivatives. This proposal aims to provide a greater understanding on the subject, through interactions with the software, allowing the student to raise his own questions and also inferences about the patterns generated by the obtained graphics.

Keywords:

Mathematics, ICT in education and teaching math, Complex Analysis.