Directions: Write a brief report (approximately two typed or word-processed, double-spaced pages) on your mathematician. Include dates of birth and death (if known), information about early education (formal and/or informal), contributions to mathematics and other fields, and interesting anecdotes. You are required to use the following four sources:

(1) entry from Dictionary of Scientific Biography,

(2) at least two books from the QA section of the library, and

(3) one more source: a third book from the library, a signed encyclopedia article, a journal article, a World Wide Web site, or your textbooks. A signed encyclopedia article is one for which the author's name is given.

These four sources must be cited in the body of your paper. Cite these references by number (e.g. [3], where [3] refers to the third reference in your list, also labeled [3]) or author (e.g. (Katz, 1996)), rather than using footnotes. The paper must include a list of references, or bibliography. The list of sources you actually cite should appear first, followed (if you wish) by a list of additional sources consulted and/or recommended to the reader. Within these two sections, the bibliography entries may be arranged in alphabetical order or in the order in which you cite them. The bibliography should contain any books, articles, or persons from which or whom you obtain information. These often are cited as follows (book, article in a book, article in a journal, person, respectively).

Goldschmidt, David M., Lectures on Character Theory, Publish or Perish Press, Berkeley, 1980.

Katz, Victor J., "Combinatorics and Induction in Medieval Hebrew and Islamic Mathematics," in Vita Mathematica (Ronald Calinger, ed.), Mathematical Association of America, Washington, D.C., 1996.

McDonough, T.P., "On Jordan Groups," Journal of the London Mathematical Society, 6(1972), pp. 73-80.

Presley, Elvis, private communication, Feb. 14, 1997.

For dictionary and encyclopedia citations, follow the format for articles in a book, except: (1) give the volume number in place of the editor's name, and (2) you need provide neither the publisher's name nor the place of publication (do provide the publication date). There is as yet no standard format for citation of information obtained from the World Wide Web; try to give author of article, title of article, date of article, and url address.

You may be required to revise your written report before it is accepted. To avoid this, have a classmate (or two) check it for clarity.

You will be asked to give a very brief oral presentation of your work in class.


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