Welcome to an Extended Essay in Mathematics!
Some Guiding Principles for an EE in Mathematics
If you are genuinely interested and intrigued by mathematics, and curious to explore unknown topics and applications, an EE in mathematics will provide you a rich opportunity to stretch yourself and deepen your understanding. You will be digging around in unknown territory, turning over rocks and delving into new and uncharted areas of your understanding of mathematics for nearly a full year. You can expect to gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for mathematics through the process of writing your EE in math.
Expect your topic and research question to change and evolve through the process of researching and writing. You may start with how the abacus influenced ancient Chinese commerce and economic growth and end up writing about how modern calculators work.
The mathematics used can be from the existing curriculum, but should include topics that are beyond the scope of the curriculum. You can expect to have to learn some new mathematics on your own. The mathematics used should be thought of as an important and necessary tool for answering your research question, not as the main focus of the EE.
Due to the nature and conventions of academic literature in mathematics, formatting, nomenclature, and the use of graphs, equations, etc are very specific and important details that will take extra time to perfect. It will be advantageous to have fluency with math typesetting software, graphing and/or calculation apps, spreadsheets, coding/programming apps, etc.
Late October: Making Sure You Want to Write Your EE in Mathematics
Before you fully commit to an EE in Mathematics, it’s imperative to understand what you’ll be expected to produce. Read through the IB EE Guide, Mathematics: Subject Specific Guidance document, as well as the May 2018 EE in Mathematics Subject Report. Both of these documents will help you to better understand what is expected from an EE in mathematics.
If, after this, you’re still excited about an EE in Mathematics, there is a bit more required reading. There is a link to the document Super Tips from Math EE Students attached. Read through that document for some great advice and strategies from your peers about how to approach and successfully complete the EE in math.
Mid-November: Focusing your Aim
Now that you’re sure you want to write your EE in Mathematics, it’s time to start the process of finding and refining your areas of interest so that eventually you can arrive at a rich and viable research question. The last article above will have helped you with some pointers, strategies and processes on how to turn what you’re curious and excited about into an eventual research question. Follow those recommendations to come up with 3-5 topics or ideas that could become research questions.
You can bring these topics to the EE Fair to connect with other DP candidates who are also interested in writing their EE in Mathematics as well as members of the HS math faculty. The purpose of this fair will be to give you more specific information on the EE process and an EE in Mathematics. It will also be an opportunity (and obligation) to share your 3-5 topics or ideas and get some feedback on them from your peers and the teachers.
Following this, you’ll have the chance to further refine your initial research question and then start your research. Your preferred EE advisor may not be willing to take you under their wing until you have undertaken your research process and know that sufficient data or expert knowledge to support your research question is available.
January: The First Official Meeting With Your Advisor
You will have an opportunity over the winter holiday to continue your research and finalize your research question. When you return from the break you’ll have your first official meeting with your EE advisor. At this meeting you will share your research to that point, make any necessary changes to your focus, and together decide on a path forward as you continue to evolve your work into a robust and worthwhile research question.