What is it?
Students will write a short, formal expository paper about some application of the ideas of linear algebra. This will involve independent reading, thinking, and learning. Students will choose a topic which we have not directly covered in class but which is connected to topics we have discussed, study it using the text and possibly other resources, then write expository papers explaining what they have learned.
Objectives.
Students will be graded on a variety of objectives.
- Organization, grammar, spelling, basic language arts. This is college-level writing, and good thoughts that you don't know how to communicate are worth almost nothing.
- Demonstrate that you have learned something.
- Connect the topic to the real world.
- Connect the topic clearly to the course, and involve the vocabulary and techniques that we have learned, as appropriate.
- some math, don't just talk about it. Work a couple examples, prove a couple theorems, show me some diagrams.
Audience.Your paper should be readable by your classmates. You should assume that your intended reader has had a basic course in linear algebra but is probably not expert in the specific application you have in mind. If you learn some new or more advanced linear algebra along the way, you should explain that. Take that When it's all over, I would like to make all these papers available to all of you, that we may all learn from one another. Let that serve as a final reminder of the huge variety of uses of linear algebra, if only you look for them.
Topics.Chapter 10 contains twenty sections, each describing an application of the ideas of the course. Choose one and learn what it has to teach you. (Don't forget to look through the exercises and do a few … they can really help with understanding.) I can help you find additional materials to take your learning further if the text and Internet research feel unsatisfying. If you don't like any of these 20 topics, or if you have something else in mind, talk to me.
You're Not Alone.
This assignment is intended to be done by a pair of students working together for best results. You may choose to work individually, however. I will also allow groups of size three, but understand that my expectations will be higher from a group of
three. Students should register their partnerships (or individual status) with me as soon as convenient, but absolutely no later than April 20th. Changes to partnership arrangements after that must be approved.
Length.
Don't think too much about the actual page number length or word count. I'm not interested in filler or padding, I'm interested in how much you say. Here's a good rule of thumb. If you could give a short lecture (25-30 minutes) to your classmates on your topics, then you've learned enough. Tell me what you've learned.