MATH 175-WR. Individual Instruction Writing Component Course.

This course fulfills part of the basic education in writing.

Instructor:

Prof. Todd Arbogast
Office: RLM 11.162, Phone: 471-0166
E-Mail: arbogast@math.utexas.edu

Prerequisite:

Upper-division standing in mathematics and written consent of instructor. May be taken only to supplement a the regularly scheduled course.

Course Description:

The student will be required to write three papers of approximately 5 to 8 pages each (with a minimum of 16 pages for the semester). Paper topics and general outline should be approved by the Instructor in about the 1st, 6th, and 11th weeks of the semester. The papers will be due approximately at the end of the 4th, 9th, and 14th week of the semester. Each paper will be graded, and may require a rewrite, due within about a week. Grades will be based on the final versions of the papers.

Paper 1: Biography. Write a brief biography of a mathematician who influenced the regular course material. Include general personal information, and some sense of his or her mathematical work. The audience of the paper should be non-technical, accessible to, say, those with a high-school education. The Library has materials to consult on the history of mathematics.
Paper 2: Expository writing. Write a paper describing in detail the meaning, significance, and some applications of a major result in the regular course. The audience should be a learned person with a college degree, but not in science or engineering (say, in humanities, psychology, or history).
Paper 3: Technical writing. Write a paper describing in mathematical detail the meaning and significance of a major result in the regular course, or a related major result just outside the regular course. The audience should be a learned person with a college major or degree in mathematics, science, or engineering.

Due dates for Fall 2009

Paper 1
Monday, September 21: Preliminary draft due.
Monday, September 28: Final draft due.
Paper 2
Monday, October 5: Outline due (discuss during office hours).
Monday, October 26: Preliminary draft due.
Monday, November 2: Final draft due.
Paper 3
Monday, November 9: Outline due (discuss during office hours).
Monday, November 30: Preliminary draft due.
Monday, December 7: Final draft due.

The Undergraduate Writing Center:

The Undergraduate Writing Center offers consultation on writing assignments to UT undergraduate students. Drop by FAC 211 or call 471-6222 for an appointment.