ABSTRACT
I pointed out in Chapter 1 that the symbolic aspect of mathematics was one of the subject’s most apparent and distinctive features. Skemp (1979, 1986) has written extensively on the variety of functions performed by symbols in our highly symbol-dense environment, where his use of the term symbol includes both spoken sounds and written words as well as many others. Words are symbols, but ones which fall into a special category in that they are so familiar and commonplace that they come strongly to stand for what they are symbolizing. For example, if the word justice is read, certain images and associations immediately come to mind.
