English

ChatGPT in Linear Algebra: Strides Forward, Steps to Go

Computers and Society 2024-03-26 v1 Computation and Language Machine Learning

Abstract

As soon as a new technology emerges, the education community explores its affordances and the possibilities to apply it in education. In this paper, we analyze sessions with ChatGPT around topics in basic Linear Algebra. We reflect the process undertaken by the ChatGPT along the recent year in our area of interest, emphasising the vast improvement that has been done in grappling with Linear Algebra problems. In particular, the question whether this software can be a teaching assistant or even somehow replace the human teacher, is addressed. As of the time this paper is written, the answer is generally negative. For the small part where the answer can be positive, some reflections about an original instrumental genesis are given. Communication with the software gives the impression to talk to a human, and sometimes the question is whether the software understands the question or not. Therefore, the reader's attention is drawn to the fact that ChatGPT works on a statistical basis and not according to reflection and understanding.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2403.15399,
  title  = {ChatGPT in Linear Algebra: Strides Forward, Steps to Go},
  author = {Eli Bagno and Thierry Dana-Picard and Shulamit Reches},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2403.15399},
  year   = {2024}
}

Comments

arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2306.16282

R2 v1 2026-06-28T15:30:16.660Z