M. Asiala, A. Brown, J. Kleiman and D. Mathews. The development of students’ understanding of
permutations and symmetries, International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning, 3, 13-
43, 1998.
The authors examine how abstract algebra students might come to understand permutations of a
finite set and symmetries of a regular polygon. They give initial theoretical analyses of what it
could mean to understand permutations and symmetries, expressed in terms of APOS. They
describe an instructional approach designed to help foster the formation of mental constructions
postulated by the theoretical analysis, and discuss the results of interviews and performance on
examinations. These results suggest that the pedagogical approach was reasonably effective in
helping students develop strong conceptions of permutations and symmetries. Based on the
data collected as part of this study, the authors propose revised epistemological analyses of
permutations and symmetries and give pedagogical suggestions.