Your report should follow these guidelines, although you may choose how you present it:
How to Write a Mathematics Report
In writing your report, remember that you are writing up a mathematical story and so, like all good
stories, it will need a beginning, a middle and an end. More formally, the main components of this
writing style are: Introduction, Formulating the Problem, Solving the problem, Discussion of Results,
and Conclusion. We will now consider some of the detail in each of these aspects.
Introduction
This is the beginning of the story. Give a brief explanation of what the problem is about what the
goals of the report are and what will be presented. Assume that your reader does not know what the
problem is about or how to solve it.
Formulating the problem
Translate the situation into a maths problem. Explain how you will begin to solve the problem and
break it into simpler stages. Discuss any assumptions made. What quantities are variables and which
values are fixed?
You may use sub-headings if they assist you.
Solving the Problem
Show any calculations and mathematical reasoning that you use. (Assume that your reader does not
know much maths). Do not show the same types of calculations repetitively. Just give one or two
examples of a calculation and then put the rest of the results in a table.
Use diagrams or graphs if they assist you. Make general remarks about what you observe in your
calculation results and, possibly, why. You may want to criticise your work and go on to improve it in
the next section. Explain what you will do next and why.
Discussion of Results - Evaluate and Verify
Summarise your results if necessary and refer to your mathematical reasoning. Justify procedures used.
Interpret your results. First, are they reasonable or does something not look right and need further
investigation or checking? Is there a decision to be made? Here is where you should present the
decision-making process. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of your solutions.
Conclusion
Summarise your findings. Refer to the problem outlined in the introduction. Make sure that you
answer the question that was asked. Make recommendations. No new material should be presented
here.
