Writing Projects

Expressing your ideas in writing is essential in any discipline, including mathematics. There will be two class projects this semester. Both of which require the submission of a mathematical paper. The process of writing a paper has two major components. The first is to work out the mathematical details of the problem that you were assigned. The second is to make sense of those mathematical details and to organize them into a coherent narrative. The paper may very well include symbols, computation and graphs; however, these will need to be accompanied by generous verbal explanations that explain the mathematical ideas. You will be expected to write clearly and coherently using correct mathematical and English grammar.

Writing math papers:  Write as if your intended audience was a fellow student in the course who has not considered the question you have been asked to write on.  In other words, the instructor is not your intended reader; you are writing to a first-time student of calculus who knows only what you knew when you began to work out the details of the topic on which you are writing. The essay must not assume your reader has access to a statement that defines the problem.  You thus need to provide introductory material and diagrams that set up the problem as well as explaining the solution to it. 

You may work in groups of two or three for these projects if you like. In this case the group should turn in a single paper and each member will receive the same grade. Make sure that all members of the group contribute equally to writing the final product. And every member of the group is responsible for the content of the entire paper. Don't put your name on a paper written by others. For further information, consult your instructor.