BLIND INTERVALS: SEMANTIC AMBIGUITY IN THE “BETWEEN” RULE OF MICROSOFTEXCEL AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DECISION-MAKING
Abstract
Spreadsheets play a central role in the organization and classification of data across educational, industrial, and scientific contexts. In this setting, Microsoft Excel not only processes information but also mediates the understanding of mathematical relationships in everyday analysis. This study examines, from an epistemological perspective, the behavior of the “Between” rule in the conditional formatting feature. Empirical evidence shows that the tool automatically includes the extreme values of the defined interval, classifying them as belonging to the set. This work adopts a strict semantic interpretation of the term “between,” according to which the interval relation presupposes the exclusion of its bounds, in accordance with its relational structure and with the notion of open numerical intervals in formal mathematics. Within this framework, the automatic inclusion of the extremes characterizes a dissociation between language and operation. Interface analysis indicates that this behavior occurs without conceptual clarification or user guidance, delegating to the system the operational definition of the interval criterion. This condition introduces semantic ambiguity in automated data classification processes, particularly when boundary values carry decision-making relevance. The results reveal tensions between natural language, mathematical formalism, and computational implementation, contributing to a critical understanding of the role of digital system design in mediating analysis and decision-making, as well as to Mathematics Education, particularly in the teaching of numerical intervals and set membership in technology-mediated contexts.
Author Biography
Writer and University Professor in areas related to the exact sciences and Educational Technologies. Holds a Master’s degree in Natural Sciences and Mathematics from the Universidade Regional de Blumenau (2012). Specialist in Methodology of Mathematics Teaching from IBPEX (2006). Bachelor’s degree in Accounting Sciences from the Universidade da Região de Joinville (2000). Holds a Pedagogical Training for Teachers from the Centro Universitário de Jaraguá do Sul (2006). Works as a professor in professional and technological education, at the levels of technical secondary education, undergraduate, and graduate programs. Has more than 20 years of experience in accounting, administrative, and production processes in the Itapocu Valley region, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
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