Courses:

Guidelines for Term Paper

There are two types of term paper:

1. Read and report on an application area that relates to the convex analysis and optimization material of the course.
2. Read and report on a theoretical area that relates to the convex analysis and optimization material of the course.

The reading could include 2-4 related papers. The choice is up to you, but in case of doubt, you should check with the instructor.

A variant is to include not just a synthesis of the material you read, but also (in part) your own research and thoughts on the subject.

The length of the paper should ordinarily be 15-25 pages.

Mathematical Writing

Mathematical writing is fundamentally different than creative and expository writing for two main reasons:

1. It involves the interplay of two languages (natural and math).
2. It requires much slower reading.

As a result, many of the rules and suggestions found in writing style manuals are inadequate and/or do not apply. In "Ten Simple Rules for Mathematical Writing" (PDF), we propose a structured approach to mathematical writing, based on a set of simple composition rules.