Teaching equivalence relations using collaborative activities.

The notion of equivalence relation is a fundamental concept in mathematics and yet mathematics students often are not given formal exposure to it until midway through their college careers. Not only do they need to become adept at working with equivalence relations but they should also understand the wide applicability of this notion. In this paper collaborative exercises are provided for students to gain facility with equivalence relations and their classes, as well as to see their usefulness in various areas of mathematics and computer science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]