Math 444 - 201,
2021WT2, Jan-Apr 2022
Mathematical
Research and Writing
Announcements
Announcements will be
posted from time to time. Please check regularly.
- The course syllabus
is available here.
- All submissions
will be typeset in *12 pt font* - and from Week 4
onwards in LaTeX.
- Links to Overleaf,
Detexify and a free online LaTeX manual. The
links to Overleaf, Detexify and the online LaTeX manual are at
the bottom of the page under handouts too.
- IMPORTANT:
This course will be delivered in two locations. Before
spring break will be on Zoom. After spring break
will be in person. (Spring break is February 21-25
2022.)
- If you get ill
during the term then please do the following for our course:
- Stay home (if
it is an in person lecture).
- Email me
immediately to inform me at steph@math.ubc.ca.
- Email your group
immediately to inform them and catch up what you missed
if you were not able to attend class.
-
New room! Math 202.
-
Office hours 4pm
Thursday 7th April will not take place because the course
will be complete.
Course details
Lecture details
Lecturer: S van Willigenburg, office: Math 208,
tel: (604) 822-2630, virtual office: Meeting ID: 661 3169 0834
Passcode: 444, email: steph@math.ubc.ca
Time: TuTh 9.30-11.00
Location before spring break: Zoom Meeting
ID: 661 3169 0834 Passcode: 444
Location after spring break: MATH 202
Web page: https://personal.math.ubc.ca/~steph/444/444.html
Office hours: At Class 30 mins just after class. On
Zoom Mon 10-11am, Thur 4-5pm, and by appointment (not
Wednesday). Email You can also email me anytime.
This is a very
discussion based course, so real-time attendance is needed by
students.
Technical requirements
Course description
This is for students who
would like an introduction to mathematical research, and are
interested in exploring mathematics constructively. It is suitable
for students who would like to further develop their critical
thinking skills independently. In addition presentation skills and
ability to professionally typeset mathematics will be developed.
Prerequisite is one of
MATH 220, MATH 226 and 6 credits of MATH courses numbered 300 or
higher.
Grading
Your grade will be based
on
- Class participation
and peer feedback (5%)
- Homework (10%)
- Research journal
(10%)
- Presentations (30%)
- Project
(45%).
Due to the
intense workload of the course no extensions will be given, late
Canvas submissions are not permitted, and late non-Canvas
submissions will be subject to a 50% per day penalty.
Working together and
academic misconduct
Homework: We have no
objection to collaboration on the homework, provided that it is
done in a way that maximizes the benefit of the homework to all
people involved. It is our experience that you get
- maximum benefit
from a homework problem if you work hard on it alone before
combining your ideas with someone else's,
- no benefit from one
person just telling another how to do a problem.
Regardless of whether
you arrive at solutions in collaboration with others or alone, the
paper that you turn in with your name on it should represent your
own solutions, written in your own words.
In particular, you
may not simply copy someone else's homework and turn it in as
your own. Similarly, copying solutions that you might
find on the web or from some other source is illegal. The
same applies to every result at every stage of your project.
These will all be
treated as academic
misconduct. We take all academic misconduct very
seriously and will follow university procedures in all cases - disciplinary
measures can result in expulsion.
Class etiquette
Please do the following to create
the best learning experience for us all. Thank you.
Online
- Use your web cam - because this creates a better learning
experience when we can all see each other. You can turn it off
for a bit if needed, and it is courteous to let us know if it
will be for a long period of time.
- Mute your microphone when not speaking - because this
minimizes distracting background noise.
- Use Zoom chat for class material only - because this minimizes
distractions.
- If you have a question then please ask so the whole class may
benefit too.
In person
- Do not use cell
phones (in any manner), laptops, smartphones, tablets and
other electronic devices during class, because it is
distracting and disrespectful to fellow students and the
instructor.
- If you have a
question then please ask the instructor so the whole class may
benefit too. Do not chat with neighbours, even when whispered,
because it distracts others.
- Be punctual.
Arriving late and leaving early is discouraged. If it happens
then please enter/leave the room silently and do not disrupt
the other students or instructor.
Online resources
Homework (due by
Thursday
9.30am pdf via Canvas)
There will be weekly
homework assignments due on Thursdays
on Canvas as
a pdf, which will augment the techniques learned in class
or give an opportunity to explore mathematical research further.
Homework solutions should be typed up using good English, complete
sentences, and full details. Questions should be answered in
order, with your name and student number on at least the front
page.
Homework 1, due Thursday January
20th.
Homework 2, due Thursday January
27th.
Homework 3, due Thursday February
3rd.
Homework 4, due Thursday
February 10th.
Homework 5, due Thursday February
17th. Here are the
two downloadable Beamer resource files consisting of a tex file and its pdf output.
No homework due Thursday March 3rd
because of draft submission.
Homework 6,
due Thursday March 10th.
Homework 7, due Thursday March 17th.
Homework 8, due Thursday March 24th.
Here is a copy
of Polygon
Dissections
and Standard
Young Tableaux.
Homework
9, due
Thursday March
31st.
Here
is a link to
an online
drawing tool
in case it
might be
useful, drawisland.
Don't forget
from class
that in your
Latex file you
then will also
need to put
\usepackage{graphicx}
at the start
of your file
in the
preamble in
order to use
the
\includegraphics{}
command.
Homework
10, due
Thursday April
7th.
Solutions will be provided when the homework is returned, if
appropriate.
Research Journal (due
by Friday 11.59am pdf via email)
You will email a weekly
1-2 page written account of your research directly to
steph@math.ubc.ca.
Label the file preferredname_surnameinitial_Journalx.pdf.
Put your name and student number at
the top of the front page.
This document will have 3 sections with the following
headings.
- What you did.
- Why you did it.
- What obstacles you
encountered, and your research plan for the following week.
Project Presentations
You will update the
class on your progress throughout the term. More details are here.
- Week starting March 7 Project introduction (10
marks): You will motivate your project and explain what you
will be investigating. Plus teach the class definitions
illustrated by examples, which are necessary for your
research.
- Week starting March 21 Project presentation (20
marks): You will give a lecture covering the points below.
- Briefly recall
some motivation for your project.
- Give relevant
definitions and examples so that you can do the following.
- State and prove
at least one theorem from your project.
Project
Information sheet and list of potential projects.
Other
handouts
Here are some more
study materials I found to help, or might be interesting.
Resources on learning
Resources on writing
Resources on Latex
Resources for group
meetings, collaborating, and keeping in contact
Other
useful links