Experimental Mathematics and Proofs in the Classroom

Experimental mathematics is a serious branch of mathematics that starts gaining attention both in mathematics education and research. We give examples of using experimental techniques (not only) in the classroom. At first sight it seems that introducing experiments will weaken the formal rules and the abstractness of mathematics that are considered a valuable contribution to education as a whole. By putting proof and experiment side by side we show how this can be avoided. We also highlight consequences of experimentation for educational computer software.