Math 502A
Communication in the Mathematical Sciences

Gerald Folland

Winter 2000, Mondays and Wednesdays 2:30-3:20


This course is aimed at improving mathematical writing and presentation skills.  It is intended for undergraduate majors in the mathematical sciences (in spite of its 500-level number) as well as graduate students. It is designated as a W-course to satisfy the writing requirement.  It will cover both small-scale issues (effective use of symbols, grammar and punctuation, footnotes and references, etc.) and large-scale ones (organizing a paper or lecture, writing for the appropriate audience, etc.)  It will also devote some attention to the use of computers for technical word-processing.

This course is essentially the same as the courses offered as AMath 500D in Winter 1999 and Math 498A in Spring 1999.  It overlaps considerably with the course offered as Stat 591 in Autumn 1999 but is at a more basic level and is aimed more at undergraduates.

Prerequisites (for undergraduates):  At least 15 credits in the mathematical sciences at the 300 or 400 level, including Math 307 and Math 308.  It is strongly recommended that these credits include at least one course at the 400 level.