Math 402, Fall 2008


Description - For this project, students will research a topic related to the subject matter of the course.  The end result of the project will be
(1) a written paper four or more pages in length
and
(2) a poster to present during a poster session in class. 
Students may work individually or in pairs (no more than two in a group).  Students who work in pairs will submit one paper and one poster and will receive the same grade for the project.

Due dates -

Wed. Nov. 5 - Submit the topic you will do.  If you are working with another person, the two of you should submit one paper with both names.

Wed. Nov. 19 - Submit a list of references and an outline of your paper.  You should have at least one reference (preferably more!) which is not a webpage. Visit the Mathematics Library in Altgeld Hall.

Wed. Dec. 3 - Posters due. There will be poster sessions in class on Dec. 3, 5, 8, 10

Wed. Dec. 10 - papers due.


Some possible topics

       Geometry before Euclid

       The history of geometry in the Islamic world

       Other axiomatic systems, such as Peano’s axioms for the natural

       Russell and Whitehead's Principia Mathematica (history of axiomatic systems)

       Development of a lesson plan for high school students based on some geometric topic (the subject should go beyond what we’ve covered in class).

       Godel's Incompleteness Theorem

       Some portion of the history of non-Euclidean geometry

       Use of Euclidean or non-Euclidean geometry in computer graphics

       Euclidean constructions (ruler and compass)

       Frieze groups, wallpaper groups, tilings

       Spherical geometry

       Models of hyperbolic geometry

       Some topic from projective geometry

       Use of perspective in drawing

       Hyperbolic geometry in art (e.g. M.C. Escher)

       Hilbert's axioms for Euclidean geometry

       Differential or Riemannian Geometry

       Applications of Geometry (in some other field of study)

       Solid geometry (3 dimensions)

       Classification of Platonic solids

       Use of geometry in map-making

       Hilbert's axioms for Euclidean geometry

       Angle trisection

       Proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem

       Affine geometry

       Napoleon’s Theorem

       Triangle centers

       Metric spaces

       Conformal maps

       Mappings of the globe

       Differential or Riemannian Geometry

       Applications of Geometry (in some other field of study)

       History of geometry education

       Some area of non-Euclidean Geometry which we have not covered

       or you can suggest your own topic – there are hundreds of possibilities...
Some places to browse for ideas:
Cut-the-knot, http://www.cut-the-knot.com/
Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.com
Geometry Junkyard, http://www.ics.uci.edu/~eppstein/junkyard/
Geometry in Action (applications of geometry), http://www.ics.uci.edu/~eppstein/geom.html





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