A Genre Analysis of Mathematical Remarks

In this article, we present a genre analysis of mathematical remarks. The genre analysis follows the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) tradition of genre theory by identifying a set of six communicative purposes of remarks that define the genre of mathematical remarks. These communicative purposes were identified by analyzing: (a) two datasets of remarks, (b) practitioner discourse about mathematical remarks, and (c) our pre-study reflections about the genre as members of the discourse community of mathematicians. Since communicative purposes are tied to intended audience, we selected datasets with different intended audiences: first-year undergraduates and research mathematicians. Thus, in addition to identifying an overarching set of communicative purposes of remarks, we also offer results on how the communicative purposes of remarks by mathematicians-as-researchers differed from those of mathematicians-as-teachers. The differences shed light on ways mathematicians-as-teachers appear to be using remarks in pedagogical and enculturating ways.