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 pages in length and (2) either a poster or an oral presentation of 10 minutes to the 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 either one poster or will do a class presentation together, and will receive the same grade for the project.
Due dates -
Fri. March 31 - 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. April 12 - Submit a list of references and an outline of your paper. Also tell me whether you will do a poster or a presentation.
Wed. April 26 - posters due (poster session in class).
Fri. April 28 - class presentations must be ready.
Mon. May 1 - papers due.
Some possible topics
Geometry before Euclid
Other axiomatic systems, such as Peano’s axioms for the natural numbers (see Exercises 1.4.8-1.4.12)
Russell and Whitehead's Principia Mathematica (history of axiomatic systems)
Development of a lesson plan for high school students based on some aspect of this course.
Godel's Incompleteness Theorem
Some portion of the history of non-Euclidean geometry
Use of Euclidean or non-Euclidean geometry in computer graphics
Models of hyperbolic geometry
Some portion of Chapter 4 on Euclidean constructions
Some portion of Chapter 6 (frieze groups, wallpaper groups, tilings)
Hyperbolic geometry in art (e.g. M.C. Escher)
Spherical geometry
Projective geometry
Hilbert's axioms for Euclidean geometry
Metric spaces
Conformal maps
Mappings of the globe
or you can suggest your own topic...