The expression 10/5 was on the board. A student asked suppose it was 11/5. I said to him that it was a good question. He then perked up, and paid more attention to the rest of the class. This shows the importance of praising directly to a student who asks a question. Questioning should be encouraged.

 

For mathematics, prompt questioning is essential. At seminars for mathematicians or physicists, the speaker is frequently interrupted with questions, which often come at the very beginning. This is to be contrasted with something like history, for example, where questions are appropriate after the speaker has made his point. With mathematics, we are building a structure.

 

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