Research Paper on a Mathematician

Research on a Mathematician

Overview

For this assignment you will type a two page paper about a mathematician within our e- textbook. Your paper should include biographical information about the mathematician, a summary of their contribution to mathematics, and an application of their work. As this is a research paper you are expected to use two or more independent sources to support your conclusions.

Formatting and Content of your paper

Type settings: Your paper should have the following settings:

1. 1 inch margins all around 2. 12 point font size 3. Times New Roman font 4. Double space all paragraphs

Title Page: This page does not count towards your page total. This double spaced page should include the following:

1. Title of paper 2. Your name 3. Affiliation (Montclair State University) 4. Class and section (Math 103-xy)

Body: Your paper should have three clear sections which consist of 2 typed pages: an introduction of your main points, the body of your essay supporting your main points, and a conclusion/summary of your paper. You should address the following topics:

1. An Introduction 2. Biographical information about a mathematician of your choosing from the e-textbook

a. For example see page 535 for a description of Richard Dedekind 3. Their contributions to their field of study

a. What did they prove/motivate? b. Why was it important?

4. Give a modern application of the mathematician’s works 5. A conclusion

Works Cited: You should include a works cited page in APA format for any outside sources used.

How you will be graded

Your essay will be graded on the following criteria:

1. Completeness of responses 2. Clarity of writing 3. Flow/structure of paper 4. Proper use of quotations/adherence to APA style.

a. Your paper should not include block quotes, or quotations consisting of 40 or more words. Block quotes will not contribute to your page total and additional points will be deducted for each instance of their use.

b. Quotations usage should be well justified. In other words if you can paraphrase the source material you should.

Structure of your paper Introduction: Here you should introduce the mathematician you chose, and briefly describe why you decided to write about them. Biographical information: Here you should have two to three paragraphs discussing the mathematician’s childhood, education, and adult life. Examples of the Mathematicians major accomplishments: Here you should discuss some of your mathematician’s contributions, i.e. what was proved in their life time and why it was significant. Discuss Some Modern Examples of their work: Here you should give two or three examples of how the mathematician’s work is used currently. Conclusion: Here you should summarize your main points, what you found interesting about your choice of mathematician, and your concluding remarks.

How You Will Be Graded

Each of the above sections will be graded on an 8 point scale plus an additional general writing score for a total score of 48 points. Your placement on the scale will depend on the completeness of your answers, accurate of your information, use of references, and flow of your writing.

How to Submit Your Essay

Your essay is due on class 18. You should submit your essay through Canvas. It is your responsibility to be sure you are able to log in to your canvas and that you upload either a word document or PDF. Papers will not be accepted after the due date without a doctor’s note. Please note, in canvas you are able to upload your essay more than one time. However, we will only grade the most recent submission. For this reason, we expect you to upload a test document or rough draft a week before the due date to ensure that you are able to submit your essay. Missing the due date because you didn’t know how to submit your essay through canvas is NOT an acceptable reason.