Math 300: Junior Collquium
Spring 2016

Major Writing Assignment #1
Automathography

PROMPT AVAILABLE: Tuesday February 8th
PAPER DUE: Tuesday March 1st, 10:05am (hard copy form)

Objective: demonstrate your ability to communicate in written form your understanding of a concept in mathematics and provide a narrative description and historical presentation of some of your personal mathematical experiences and beliefs.
In a typed, double-spaced 3-5 page (800-1200 word) essay, respond to the following prompt:
Produce a paper which can serve as your automathography, that is the intersection of mathematics with a self-description of some events in your life to date (i.e. autobiography). While doing this you must clearly describe some mathematical concept.
You should consider, but not necessarily respond to all of, the following questions.
1.    What is your favorite mathematical topic and why?
2.    What is your favorite mathematical class and why?
3.    What are your best and worst experiences with math?
4.    Why do you like math more than other subjects?
5.    Why did you become a math major?
6.    Has anyone influenced you to become a math major?
7.    How do you plan to use math in the future?
8.    How has math benefitted you?
9.    What was your first memorable experience with mathematics?
10.    Why do you think math is important to the world?

REMINDERS
0) YOUR NAME SHOULD APPEAR NOWHERE ON YOUR PAPER UNTIL THE VERY LAST PAGE OF YOUR ESSAY.
1) NO LATE PAPERS OR ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL.
2) YOUR PAPER SHOULD BE DOUBLE SPACED, IN 12 POINT FONT WITH 1-INCH MARGINS AND INCLUDE A TITLE AND WORD COUNT.
3) YOUR PAPER SHOULD INCLUDE A "WORKS CITED" PAGE OF ANY ARTICLES YOU REFERENCE IN YOUR ESSAY. YOU MAY USE MLA OR APA CITATION STYLE.
4) A SUCCESSFUL PAPER WILL INCLUDE A CLEAR DESCRIPTION (USING MATHEMATICAL SYMBOLS AND TERMS) OF A MATHEMATICAL CONCEPT.