Student Term Projects

Math 55 --- Differential Equations

David Arnold

Timelines and Grading

Here is the description of due dates and tasks.

Model Project

The Model Project counts for 20 points of the final grade of the Student Term Project in differential equations.

  1. The first draft of your Model Project is due on February 8.
  2. The second and final draft of your Model Project is due on February 29.

Topic and Partner

You must choose a topic and whether or not you wish to work alone or with a partner on your student term project. This deadline accounts for 10 points of the final grade of the Student Term Project in differential equations.
  1. You must declare whether your are working alone or with a partner by February 29.
  2. You must declare the title of your topic for your student term project by February 29.
  3. You must submit latex source (paper.tex) and compiled document (paper.pdf) that includes at a minimum (it may include more):
  4. The abstract and bibliography may change during the first and second drafts of your paper, but the title and authors should be nailed down by the February 29 deadline.

Paper --- First Draft

The first draft of your paper is due March 28. This deadline accounts for 20 points of the final grade of the Student Term Project in differential equations. This draft should include:

This draft should be typeset in LaTeX and compiled. You are required to submit your source (paper.tex) and compiled document (paper.pdf).

This draft will be graded and return with comments.

Paper --- Second Draft

The second draft of your paper (both paper.tex and paper.pdf) is due April 18. This draft should include everything mentioned in the first draft, but should be significantly polished as compared to the first draft. Moreover, the second draft, both source and compiled document, should address all comments recording in the grading of the first draft. The second draft deadline accounts for 20 points of the final grade of the Student Term Report in differential equations.

Presentation

The presentation is due May 9. The presentation deadline accounts for 20 points of the final grade of the Student Term Report in differential equations. Some guidelines:
  1. Remember that you have all semester to work through the intricate details of the mathematics required by your topic. However, you will quickly put your audience to sleep if you pound them with too much mathematical detail during your presentation. It may be better to explain your choice of technique, present the results, then concentrate more on the entertaininment side of your topic during the presentation. Carefully built slides or programmed simulations will capture the attention of the audience, while a sea of mathematical detail might quickly put them to sleep.
  2. Do not use the whiteboard during your presentation. All of your presentation must be prepared on slides in advance of your talk.
  3. Plan on limiting your presentation to 15 minutes.
  4. Use beamer or pdfslide macros to prepare your slides. You must submit presentation.tex and presentation.pdf.

Final Paper

Your final versions of paper.tex and paper.pdf must be submitted prior to May 16 and will count 20 points toward the final grade of the Student Term Project in differential equations.

Grading of Student Term Projects

The following summary sheet will be used to check timelines and grading throughout the semester for each student project.

Student Term Project Grading Sheet