| Due date | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 24.09.2025 |
Option A: Go through about half of the numbered parts of Exercises 1.2, 2.3 and 2.4
of Vivaldi's book. Option B: Identify twelve writing problems (spelling, grammar, typography, bad notation, unclear statements, etc) in the paper by Erdös and Szemerédi. Your solutions to either of these exercise options are not to turn in. But you may discuss them 13:15-14:00 on 24.09.2025. |
| 01.10.2025 |
Option A: Go through about half of the numbered parts of Exercises 5.5, 5.8 and 6.1
of Vivaldi's book. Option B: Create your own LaTeX template for Paper 1, eventually by adjusting some Math template on Overleaf. Your solutions to either of these exercise options are not to turn in. But you may discuss them 13:15-14:00 on 01.10.2025. |
| 08.10.2025 |
Paper 1: Choose an elementary definition or theorem
out of the list provided in the guidelines for Paper 1,
and use LaTeX to write a text of at most two pages containing
the statement and a proof and/or an example and/or an application
(in suitable environnments), plus
an explanation of the idea only in words, without using symbols. Your target audience should be first-year students in the Math BSc program at ETH. You may use the LaTeX template under "Assistance" below, or your own from the previous week, or any other. You may use AI for an initial personal revision of Paper 1 following these suggestions. Your paper submission is to take place over Moodle. |
| 15.10.2025 |
Paper 2: Write an anonymous referee report for Paper 1 of a fellow student
attributed to you by the system.
The specific paper for you to review will appear on 09.10.2025. Please follow these reviewing guidelines. Your paper submission is to take place over Moodle. |
| 23.10.2025 |
Paper 3: Revise your original Paper 1 based on the
referee report and respond to that report following
these guidelines. In this new submission, you should include: your original Paper 1 (for reference), the anonymous referee report you had received (for reference), your response to that referee report and your revised paper. Your paper submission is to take place over Moodle. |
| 29.10.2025 |
Familiarize yourself with MathSciNet,
zBmath and other library and online resources to track
references and related material, in preparation for Paper 4.
Prepare a draft of your Paper 4, including a .bib file with relevant references. This preparation work is not to turn in. But you may discuss it 13:15-14:00 on 29.10.2025. |
| 06.11.2025 |
Paper 4: Write an expository paper of about four pages on a chosen topic (Option A: classic, or Option B: recent) out of a list provided in these guidelines;
you should research its history, interest, context and applications;
detailed guidelines are given in the above handout. Here are further guidelines regarding the use of AI for Paper 4 Your paper submission is to take place over Moodle. |
| 12.11.2025 |
Paper 5: Write an anonymous referee report for Paper 4 of a fellow student
attributed to you by the system.
The specific paper for you to review will appear on 07.11.2025.
Please follow this reviewing guidelines. Your paper submission is to take place over Moodle. |
| 19.11.2025 |
Paper 6: Revise your original Paper 4 based on the
referee report and respond to that report following
these guidelines. In this new submission, you should include: your original Paper 4 (for reference), the anonymous referee report you had received (for reference), your response to that referee report and your revised paper. Moreover, indicate your topic in a comment on Moodle. Your paper submission is to take place over Moodle. |
| 26.11.2025 |
Paper 7: Create your own LaTeX template for a specific
formatted use and fill it out (a couple of pages), in accordance
to these guidelines. Together with the PDF submission over Moodle, you are asked to submit the LaTeX source file via Overleaf. |
| 03.12.2025 | Discuss the first state of your Paper 8 with a teaching assistant. Have you distributed tasks among the group members? How could the collaboration be improved? Do you need to adjust your goals or work plan? |
| 10.12.2025 |
Paper 8: This is to be organized in the lecture of 26.11.2025.
In groups of two or three, collaborate on Overleaf
in a common project (total about 10 pages), which can be: - an expository paper on an intriguing topic for the team, or - lecture notes for some part of a course the team members are currently taking, or - a longer slide presentation. This should be accompanied by a short separate document (about one page) explaining what your target audience is and giving some complementary information, such as in what context that review paper could be used, in what ways you tried to make the lecture notes appealing, what kinds of things you would say in the slide presentation, etc. Explore Overleaf features: review vs. editing mode, AI suggestions, document searches, etc Explore LaTeX masterfile vs. sections etc! TBA Your paper submission is to take place over Moodle. |
| Date | Topics | Slides |
|---|---|---|
| 17.09.2025 | What this course is about and how it will be organised | Organizational and Lecture 1 |
| 24.09.2025 | Support of mathematical writing through LaTeX | Lecture 2 |
| 01.10.2025 | Online resources of the mathematical community | Lecture 3 |
| 08.10.2025 | References (via BibTex) and cross-references | Lecture 4 |
| 15.10.2025 | Writing proofs | Lecture 5 |
| 22.10.2025 | Scientific integrity and the publishing process — guest lecture by Emmanuel Kowalski | Blackboard |
| 29.10.2025 | Graphical elements and tools to produce them | Lecture 7 |
| 05.11.2025 | Using AI — guest lecture by Johannes Schmitt | Presentation |
| 12.11.2025 | Better writing | Lecture 9 |
| 19.11.2025 | Scrutinizing papers — guest lecture by Manfred Einsiedler | |
| 26.11.2025 | Collaborative writing: tricks, warnings and Overleaf | Lecture 11 TBA |
| 03.12.2025 | Checking your proofs using Lean — guest lecture by David Loeffler | |
| 10.12.2025 | TBA | |
| 17.12.2025 | Upshot and feedback |
