Math 188 project information (Spring 2021)

The project altogether is half of your course grade.
There are 4 components to the project (I list the percentage of your total class grade for each part).
I will provide the scoring rubrics in a few weeks.

You may work either by yourself or with one other person in the class.
The requirements are the same either way, so working with someone likely means less work.
The project is intended to be enjoyable for you, so please think hard about finding a topic that is of interest to you.

I highly recommend that you use LaTeX to prepare written portions.
Here is a LaTeX template.

A list of ideas for topics
Advice on mathematical writing (ignore Section 1).
Not all of this relevant, but it contains overall good information, so is worth reading.

Initial proposal (5%)

Due date: April 30 (end of week 5)

This part is simple: tell me who (if anyone) you plan to work with, and what your topic will be.
You can either email me directly or send a message through Discord (but I need real names).
I will keep a post in #projects in the Discord server on the topics that are chosen.
No duplicates will be allowed, so the earlier you decide, the better.
If you submit a topic last minute and it has already been claimed, you will not receive credit for this portion.

If your initials and topic appear in the post on #projects, you have received full credit.

Rough draft outline (10%)

Due date: May 21 (end of week 8)
Grading rubric

This is a typed rough draft of your final paper. It should include:

A bibliography with at least two different sources
An introduction (roughly quarter-page) which explains what the topic is and its relevance (if not obvious) to the course
A list of all definitions and theorems to be included and at least one example.

Presentation (15%)

Update (5/4/21): The presentation is optional. If you do not turn in a presentation, your average homework score will be used for this portion of the grade.

Due date: June 11 (end of finals week)
Grading rubric

Prepare a 20-30 minute pre-recorded lecture that explains your project topic.
This is necessarily an abridged version of your paper.
You do not need to include complete proofs.
I recommend either preparing slides or using a tablet to write on (slides are easier).

The easiest way to record is to share your screen in Zoom and use the record feature.
You can either upload the video to Youtube or your UCSD Google drive and share the link.
Youtube has basic tools for cutting portions out of your video.
I personally use Avidemux for editing videos. It is relatively simple and allows cropping and putting together files.

Paper (20%)

Due date: June 11 (end of finals week)
Grading rubric (updated 5/22/21)

This builds on your rough draft.
Please prepare it in 12 point font, with 1 inch margins, single-spaced.
The paper should be a minimum of 3 full pages and no longer than 5 full pages.
It should be self-contained relative to the course (you do not need to redefine terms we discuss or reprove theorems).
However, almost all (if not all) theorems should be proven and there should be at least 2 relevant examples.
Your bibliography should cite everything that you used in a nontrivial way. This is important to avoid plagiarism issues.