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Hello all, in the post I will be sharing my opinion on how best to structure a Math IA report and Math typography guidelines
A suitable layout will be:
1. Introduction (background motivation, research question);
2. Report layout (description on your methodology and the sequence of the report);
3. Describe Math content you will be using (teaching the reader the Math background and techniques you will be using in the report, the targeted audience should be a fellow student.);
4. Describe the context (problem) you will be working on;
5. Apply (3) onto (4);
6. Analysis, discussion of results (critical analysis, from a mathematical perspective of course)
7. Discussion on limitations and possible further extension (A report can never be a dead-end on its own, discuss what possible use your findings contains, who might find it useful, whether the report is scalable etc).
The structure described above it what I advise on a broad basis, of course a fair share of customization is required depending on one's chosen topic and context.
One other thing that bugs graders is the lack of effort towards Math formatting and typography. Only when embarking on this assignment do students truly realize how difficult it is to format Math notes and assignments! Usage of MS equations or Mathtype is a must, unfortunately I'm not familiar with Pages but I'm sure some software help are available too. Below are some common typography issues I highlight to my students every year without fail.
So put in the effort, don't slack off on this area no matter how great your content is.
Make your report inviting!
Alvin
