Math 100A
Mathematics in the Contemporary World
Fall, 2007

Final Project

1. The projects will be done by groups of 2 or 3 students.
2. Each group in your section of MATH 100 must have a different topic. Each group may choose its own topic subject to instructor approval. Ideas for topics may come from one of the following sections of our textbook

   Section(s)	Topic		Section	Topic
   2.5	Internet encryption		5.1	Rubber sheet geometry
   3.5	Geometry and infinity		5.2	Mobius bands and Klein bottles
   4.2	Geometry and security		5.4	Knot theory
   4.4	Symmetry, Patterns and Tilings		5.5	Fixed Points
   4.5 and 5.3	Platonic Solids, Graph Theory and Euler's Formula		6.4	Mandelbrot and Julia sets

   or you may want to take an idea we have explored in class and pursue it further, such as “other (besides those of Section 2.5) improvements upon the affine encryption method we learned,” or the “curved space” that many scientists believe we have in our universe. Ideas for topics may come from other sources; one possibility is to look for titles that interest you in Ivars Peterson's weekly electronic MathTrek columns from Science News, or check out some of the options at Mega-Math.
3. Your project will consist of 3 parts: a poster, a presentation and a paper.
   • Your group will prepare a poster to effectively present what you learn about your topic. Both attractive visual display and substantial content are important.
   • Your group will make a 10-minute oral presentation in class on May 9 or May 11. The presentation should include display of your poster, and will typically consist of elaboration of the information contained in the poster.
   • Your group will submit a paper (5-7 pages, typed, double-spaced) presenting your results in written form. The paper may be a “transcript” of your oral presentation, it may include an in-depth description of what you learn about your topic, or it may be a combination of these 2 approaches. It must include a list of your sources, of which you must have at least 3 books/journals (one of which may be your textbook). You may also use websites as sources; let's say two websites equal one book/journal source.
4. You should think of your classmates as your audience as you prepare the 3 components of your project; they know the things we have discussed in class, but may know almost nothing about some of the ideas you discover in researching your project. Keep this in mind as you decide how much or how little detail needs to be included.
5. Your project will be assigned a grade based on 100 possible points: my evaluations of your poster, presentation and paper are each worth up to 30 points, and your classmates' evaluation of your poster/presentation in class is worth up to 10 points. Criteria I'll use in my evaluation of your products (poster, presentation and paper) include the following:
   Content: 15 pts. (The last two criteria apply more to paper and presentation than to poster.)
   • importance: have you identified the major ideas relevant to your topic?
   • accuracy: is the information in your product correct?
   • completeness: have you developed your thesis adequately?
   • originality: is there evidence of some original thinking on your part (e.g., synthesis of ideas from several sources, critical analysis of ideas you've researched, personal opinion about relevant issues)?
   Style: 10 pts.
   • organization: is your product well-organized, with a logical structure?
   • clarity: can the audience “follow” the development you present?
   • engagement: does the audience want to “follow” your exposition (i.e., is it interesting)?
   Mechanics: 5 pts.
   • for your poster: neatness, visual appeal, etc.
   • for your presentation: grammar, pacing, aural appeal, etc.
   • for your paper: grammar, spelling, punctuation, citations, list of references, etc.

Suggested Deadlines

• Apr. 27: Form a group, make an initial survey of possible topics for interest and available resources. (Do not presume your first topic choice will be approved!)
• Apr. 29: Get approval for a topic choice and begin your work.

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This page maintained by:
Thomas L. Scofield
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Calvin College