Math 451 Senior Project

Syllabus

2006-2007

Course Information
Meet at least twice a week:

Course Materials
      Determined by faculty advisor

Course Description

MATH 451 SENIOR PROJECT (3)
Prerequisites: Senior standing and at least three mathematics courses numbered 300 or higher.
This course serves two purposes, one as a capstone for those students with a major in mathematics and one as preparation for post-graduate endeavors.

1. The student does an intensive study of a mathematics topic of his/her choice under a supervising professor. This study must involve a synthesis of available material on the topic to include (but not limited to): traditional books, journal articles, and web based materials. The student must write a research paper on the topic and present it to a faculty committee.

2. The student will produce an up-to-date resume and allaccompanying  materials for a job application of their choosing and for application to at least one graduate school.  The student will also prepare for a mock job interview given by the math faculty, career services staff, and local business owners/managers. Click to see assignment details.

Introduction to the Math Senior Research Project (Math 451) 

Purpose of Courses
This course which is required for the Mathematics major, helps meets the following Mathematics Program goals:

 

Goal 1

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts, techniques, and theorems of the principal branches of mathematics.
Goal 2 Students will demonstrate the ability to recognize and understand the validity of moderately complex theorems.
Goal 3  Students will demonstrate the ability to construct proofs at an elementary level.
Goal 5 Students will demonstrate the ability to use technology.

Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes
Students will understand . . .

Objective Assessment Tool
Students will demonstrate knowledge of several elective areas of advanced mathematics such as abstract algebra, analysis, geometry, number theory, numerical analysis, probability and statistics, topology, and vector analysis. weekly meetings, final report, oral examination
Students will demonstrate a knowledge of logic and recognize valid arguments. weekly meetings, final report, oral examination
Students will demonstrate a knowledge of the various methods of proof such as direct proof, indirect proof, proof by contradiction, and proof by induction. weekly meetings, final report, oral examination
Students will show competency in constructing valid arguments to prove theorems at an elementary level. weekly meetings, final report, oral examination
Students will demonstrate an ability to use technology to solve mathematical problems. weekly meetings, final report

General Requirements
The requirements for successful completion of Math 451 include several sets of criteria.  Your final grade will be based on each of these:

(a) sufficient time in the library researching the primary literature about your topic
(b) when applicable, sufficient time spent constructing proofs or models
(c) completion of a journal containing weekly reports and meetings logs
(d) a final report and oral assessment.  

This is a 3 credit hour course.  As such, students are expected to spend at approximately  6 hours a week working on their research projects.  This is in addition to weekly faculty meetings.  You will be required to track time actually spent working on your project.   Your final grade may be lowered for failure to spend the required amount of time on your project or failing to attend scheduled meetings.

Specific Requirements

Weekly Reports  An important part of the class is weekly meetings with faculty mentors and other students.  Students must come with documentation of their work since the last meeting.  This should be appended weekly and will be turned at the end of the semester, or upon request by the faculty mentor.

Meetings Log  Maintaining a healthy dialogue throughout the semester is a vital component of the student-faculty mentorship.  The weekly meetings are designed to promote such a relationship by sharing ideas, discussing problems, and focusing on the next steps.  A log of the meetings should be kept by the student.  This log should be appended weekly and will be turned at the end of the semester, or upon request by the faculty mentor.

Final Report  The final report is the resulting document of the semester's efforts.  It should be written in journal format (to be agreed upon by the student and faculty).  In order to achieve the necessary high quality, several drafts are usually required; these should be turned in well before the end of the semester. Each draft should be submitted to tunitin.com. 

Follow the schedule of due dates found in the table below.

Literature Review  week 3
Problem Proposal  week 4
First Draft  week 9
Second Draft  week 11 
Third Draft & First Draft of Oral Presentation  week 13
Final Paper &      Oral Presentation week 14

Failure to meet the above deadlines will result in a failing grade.

See description of report  and rubric for report grading standards.
 

Oral Defense  To discern the depth of knowledge gained by a student, an oral defense will be conducted.  This could be in the form of a final weekly meeting, a meeting open to all students and faculty.  The exact nature will be agreed upon early in the semester.  Any formal presentation (at the discretion of the faculty mentor) will be given at the Student Scholar Showcase or other appropriate venue.  Your presentation should be professional in quality, suitable for presentation at a professional meeting or job interview.

Grading Structure

      Number Grade Letter Grade   Number Grade Letter Grade
Weekly Reports 10%   97-100 A+   77-79 C+
Meetings Log 10%   93-96 A   73-76 C
Final Report 50%   90-92 A-   70-72 C-
Career work 10%   87-89 B+   67-69 D+
Oral Defense 20%   83-86 B   63-66 D
   100%   80-82 B-   60-62 D-
            <60 F