The project is an opportunity for students to look at a particular topic more deeply than would be presented in a standard lecture.  Students work individually, but the expression of this work must be done individually.

Students are encouraged to pick a topic that interests them.  All topics must be approved by me by March 29, 2013.  The final written report on your topic is due on April 18, 2013.  No late assignments will be accepted. 

Here are some examples of topics that may be of interest.  You are free to chose any topic that you are interested in, or propose an alternative:

• Find an article from any of the following journals related to applications involving partial differential equations and try to reproduce some of their results.  A reproduction can be (but is not limited to) analytical steps that are omitted in the text, numerical simulations that verify the published results, etc.  Some journals (not a comprehensive list) that may be of interest are:

• There are several advanced texts in partial differential equations that are available in the WPI Library.  Certain sections from these texts can make good project topics.  Additional topics can be found in texts in quantum mechanics, mathematical biology, theory of elasticity, fluid dynamics, electromagnetic phenomenon, among many other topics.

• Notes: Students are expected to write a set of notes for their project, as they work through the material. These notes need to be dated when they were done in the upper right hand corner of the sheet, along with a page number for each day. Start again from page 1 when you begin work again on a project on a new date. These notes are worth 40% of the project grade, and will be collected on April 18, 2013, after the student's presentation (description below).

• Meetings: Students are expected to set up a 5 minute meeting with me during the lecture period (4:00-5:20, TR) to discuss the project. These meetings are graded, count for 30% of the project grade, and the meetings need to be set up in the following manner:

1. Summary: The student needs to summarize what they have done so far, and how he/she has addressed the goals set from the last meeting.

2. Question/Answer: The student can then ask for questions, advice, and guidance on what to do next on the project.

3. Goals: The student and instructor then agree on what goals/tasks need to be done before the next meeting.

• Presentation: Each student presents their papers to the students during the lecture period on April 18, 2013. These presentations are 5-minutes long with 1-2 minutes for questions, and are worth 30% of the project grade.. Chalkboard presentations are acceptable, as are LaTeX-based presentations. These presentations are meant to convey to the class why this paper is of interest, what question the paper is meant to address, how it is addressed, and what open questions remain.