AP Calculus Assignment

My Mathematical Autobiography

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Hello! As part of your introduction to this course I would like you to take a little time and write a 1-page (maximum) mathematical autobiography. This autobiography should not start, "I was born on a dark, stormy night in Cleveland, Ohio..." - instead, I want you to think about your mathematical interests, likes, dislikes, talents, and weaknesses. Why are you here, where are you going, and what do you expect to gain from this course? To guide (but not limit) your thinking, here are some questions that might deserve answering¹:

Which topics in mathematics do you like, which do you dislike, and why?
Who were the people who have played a positive role in your mathematical life, and why?
Who were the people who have played a negative role in your mathematical life, and why?
Describe your good mathematical experiences and your bad ones.
In what environments do you learn best?
What environments hinder your learning?

Perhaps you are thinking, "Gee! This is a strange assignment for a math course!" Well, this is a strange math course.

Your autobiography will not be graded for grammar, punctuation, or spelling (although illiteracy does really irritate Mr. Stanbrough). Actually, it will not be graded, as in A, B, C, at all. Please use a separate sheet of paper. Please be neat. Thank you very much.

Due Friday.

¹These questions, originally from the article "Know Your Audience" in the AMATYC Review by Raymond McGivney, were taken from an article by Greg Fiore in the May 1999 issue of The Mathematics Teacher.

last update August 27, 2007 by JL Stanbrough