Assignments

Reading Journal:  Every day or nearly every day, I will assign something to read.  The assignment will generally be to either read part of the course notes or to read some mathematical work.  When reading the course notes, you should note the important issues discussed.  When reading a mathematical work, the assignment isn't going to be on the mathematical content of the work, but on the presentation.  I want you pay attention to how the mathematics is presented.  What is talked about?  Why?  Is there anything obviously omitted?  Why?  How are the equations displayed?  How is the mathematics referenced?  Is specific mathematical vocabulary used?  How is it used, and why?  In other words, pay attention to the mechanics of the writing and make short notes on it.  You journal need not be written in sentences and paragraphs, and I can't imagine typing it.  A list of notes/comments is really all that is expected.  It will be collected periodically, so you should have a dedicated notebook for it (in other words, don't use a spiral notebook with your HIST 101 notes for this semester in a different section - when I collect the journal you would no longer have your history notes available to you!).  Daily grades will be on a check, check-minus, check-plus basis, with the final grade overall determined by an averaging of these.

 #1-Calculus:  For a section in a calculus book, comment on how the material is presented.  This should be similar to what you are doing in the reading journal.  Note down what is especially good, what is poor, and what could be improved (and how).  Pay attention to transitions, if any, from one topic to another.  Note any errors you find.  Grading will be based on the thoroughness and aptness of your comments.  Again, a list of comments/notes is all that is expected.  You will need to say what book and what section you are looking at.  If it is not the Swokowski (purple) book used at MSUM (or another book that I have on my shelf), I would also like you to turn in the book.

#2-Draft:  I will give you a draft of an article, and we will go over it in class.  You should turn in notes/comments on the draft, similar to assignment #1-Calculus.  Grading will be based on the quality and appropriateness of your comments.  Turning in only brief comments made in class will result in a poor grade - either additional comments and/or expounding on the comments made in class will be expected.

#3-Summary:  You will write a one page polished summary of a chapter in a textbook.  The textbook and chapter should be checked with me beforehand.  It should be written for someone already familiar with the subject but not with the particular text.  The summary should just tell what is covered in the chapter, and should not express opinion about either the material or the writing.  Grades will be based on how well you summarize the chapter content and also on your exposition.

#4-Derivation:  You will write a two page polished paper on an elementary topic (for example, the derivation of the quadratic formula).  The topic should be checked with me beforehand, and must be different from others in the class.  You can find ideas in your calculus or other textbook.  You should concentrate on exposition, including how you incorporate mathematical symbols in the text.  I expect to grade based on your exposition, but incorrect mathematics will result in a very poor grade.  It should be a derivation that you understand! 

#5-Problem/References:  For a mathematical problem (for example, the vibrating string problem in differential equations), you will write a one-page summary of the problem itself (not the solution) and give in proper form at least five bibliographic references, including both printed and electronic sources, and including page numbers if appropriate.  Grading will be base on the presentation of the problem, the proper listing of references, and the choice of appropriate references.  Again, the problem should be checked with me beforehand, and must be different from the others in the class.

#6-Problem/Solution:  You will pick a mathematical problem with which you are familiar (for example, the derivation of an applied differential equation from the physical situation and its solution).  You will write a paper describing the problem in detail and its solution.  The paper should be about 12-15 pages in length, so the problem should have some difficulty and significance.  This is expected to involve further research of the problem and its solution from more than one resource.  The audience for the paper should be students with a grasp of the basic principles involved, but who have not dealt with or seen the particular problem before.  A draft will be submitted, with copies for each other student and me.  Each other student in the class will submit written comments to you, and a class discussion will be held about each paper.  The comments that you make on other student papers should be photocopied, with the copy being submitted to me, the instructor, and the original to the student whose paper they are about.  After the comments from the rest of the class and the instructor are received, and the paper is discussed in class, a final copy of the paper will be due.  You will be graded on three things - the initial draft (the grade will be based mainly on the mathematical correctness and reasonableness of the exposition in a first draft); the comments you make on other papers (the grade will be based on the appropriateness and variety of comments); and the final draft (the grade will be based on the mathematical exposition  Again, the problem should be checked with me beforehand, and must be different from the others in the class.  The problem must also be different from the one that you used in assignment #5-Problem/References.

Note on missed due dates:  The due dates are fixed.  You are expected to do the work by the given date.  Missing a date by one class day will result in a 50% grade reduction.  By more than one class day will result in a 100% reduction.  However, every assignment must be submitted to pass this class, even if you get no credit for it.  In extreme circumstances, I may be willing to relax these rules for assignment #6-Problem/Solution only.

Final Exam:  This will be a handout of a paper, a draft of a paper, a chapter from a math textbook, or something similar, where the assignment is for you to make comments about the writing, similar to assignments #1-Calculus and #2-Draft and the comments made on other papers in #6-Problem/Solution.  By the end of the course, this should not be a difficult thing to do.  The grade will be based on the appropriateness and thoroughness of the comments.  Pointing out what is good, including things discussed at length in class, is expected.  Consider the audience for your comments to be someone who needs to write something reasonably extensive in mathematics or about a mathematical topic who hasn't gone through a course like this, and therefore knows no more than a student who have finished English 101 might know about how to present mathematics in writing.