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Handout 2 B Forming An RQ Part 2

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18 views9 pages

Handout 2 B Forming An RQ Part 2

Uploaded by

Sagar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Mathematics Extended Essays: Choosing a Research Question

Student Handout 2 – Part B Name ………………………………………..


How do I Form a Research Question? Worksheet
Each question has gaps for you to complete. Remember that in a Mathematics EE you need to
show a full understanding of any Maths used, particularly if it is outside your syllabus.
Set 1 has a focus more on finding data on a topic that really interests you, say from sport, and using
your mathematics to answer the research question. If you are really interested in mathematics,
these topics might not have sufficient challenge for you.
Set 2 involves less challenging mathematics which is either on, or at a similar level to, the syllabus.
Set 3 involves topics that can be particularly challenging. For the most part they will be for students
who love mathematics. Others might like to seek out a more manageable research question (If
possible) involving less challenging mathematics.
Part A of this handout will prompt you to fill in the gaps one column at a time.
There is no need to do all 3 sets, look at the descriptions above and decide which set or sets best
fits your attitude to mathematics.
SET Topic Broad research Possible Mathematics Better research
1 question involved question
eg English Premier Which is the most successful Correlation, chi-squared tests, Which of 2 named clubs has
League club in the English Premier test for equality of means, been most successful in Premier
League? graphical representation of data League history?
1 Graph Theory

2 Athletics

3 Basketball (avoid published ‘statistics’ on


player’s performance, such as
batting percentages*)

(* You would be more successful if you took raw data and formed your own batting averages, or batting percentages)
SET Topic Broad research Possible Mathematics Better research
2 question involved question
eg Search engine How do search engines rank The Page Rank Algorithm, Markov How does Google rank pages?
page ranking pages? Chains
1 Complex
Numbers

2 Fractals

3 Vedic Maths
SET Topic Broad research Possible Mathematics Better research
3 question involved question
eg Cryptography What is cryptography and why is (if RSA is considered): Modular What makes RSA such an
it needed? Arithmetic, Fermat’s Little effective encryption method?
What is the most secure Theorem, Euler’s Totient Or less challenging:
encryption system? Function. What is the Caesar Shift and
Which is more secure, RSA or how was this adapted in the
Elliptical Curve cryptography? Enigma Machine?
1 Modelling
Epidemics

2 Computer
Animation

3 Aircraft
navigation
Look at the possible answers to sets 1 to 3. Are your answers similar?
Please remember that this is not a list of EE suggestions. Don’t pick one of these for your EE unless
it happens to coincide with one of your interests from Handout 1! Remember to choose something
you identified as a personal interest, and use the ideas here to help you narrow down your topic to
a workable, sharp research question.
Now use the table below (Set 4) to put your own ideas, from Handout 1, and try to come up with a
good research question. If you have more than one idea, discuss them with your supervisor before
you decide which one to make into your Mathematics Extended Essay. Good luck!
One final reminder – your chosen topic might be best considered through the lens of two of your
subjects. Remember that you can do an Interdisciplinary EE such as World Studies, and do consider
whether that might fit your topic better.
SET Topic Broad research Possible Mathematics Better research
4 question involved question
1

Paul Jackson
June 2021
Possible Answers – are your answers similar? Do you think you came up with better answers than
these? Why?
SET Topic Broad research Possible Mathematics Better research
1 question involved question
eg Great football Which is the most successful Correlation, chi-squared tests, Which of 2 named clubs has
(soccer) clubs club in the English Premier test for equality of means, been most successful in Premier
League? graphical representation of data League history?
1 Graph Theory What is the shortest route from Graph theory algorithms such as What is the shortest route from
home to school or to visit all my Dijkstra’s Algorithm, or the home to school?
friends? Travelling Salesman Problem.
2 Athletics Will world records continue to Modelling data, rates of change, Is there a limit to the world
improve? looking for suitable curves. record for the men’s 100
Asymptotes. metres?
3 Basketball Who are this season’s most (avoid published ‘statistics’ on Why is Player X considered this
successful players in the NBA? player’s performance, such as season’s most valuable player?
batting percentages) – instead
use raw data – mean, variance,
significance testing

SET Topic Broad research Possible Mathematics Better research


2 question involved question
eg Search engine How do search engines rank The Page Rank Algorithm, Markov How does Google rank pages?
page ranking pages? Chains
1 Complex What practical use have Complex numbers in a+ib and Why are complex numbers
Numbers complex numbers? exponential forms. De Moivre’s needed to solve polynomial
Theorem, Complex Roots of equations? How are complex
Equations. numbers used in electronic
circuits?
2 Fractals What is a fractal? Complex numbers, geometric What is the Mandelbrot Set?
series What is the length of the coast
of Hong Kong Island?
3 Vedic Maths How does Vedic Mathematics Algebraic explanation and proof How and why does Vedic
work of Vedic arithmetic routines Mathematics work in
performing (chosen topic)?

SET Topic Broad research Possible Mathematics Better research


3 question involved question
eg Cryptography What is cyptography and why is (if RSA is considered): Modular What makes RSA such an
it needed? Arithmetic, Fermat’s Little effective encryption method?
What is the most secure Theorem, Euler’s Totient Function. Or less challenging:
encyption system? What is the Caesar Shift and
Which is more secure, RSA or how was this adapted in the
Elliptical Curve cryptography? Enigma Machine?
1 Modelling How do epidemics spread? Logistic functions, systems of How did the spread of Covid 19
Epidemics differential equations in (my country) compare with
the theoretical model?
2 Computer What is the mathematics behind Quaternions for modelling 3D How do quaternions describe a
Animation animation? rotation 3D rotation?
3 Aircraft What is the shortest route Spherical Trigonometry What is the shortest route
navigation between cities on opposite sides between Hong Kong and
of the earth? London?

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