UG Advising • Mathematics Shiv Nadar University
Project Course

MAT399 Project Evaluation Guidelines

This page summarizes the expected structure for MAT399 presentations, programming work, poster presentation, and final report writing. Use it as a practical checklist while planning and documenting your project.

1st Presentation 2nd Presentation Programming Final Presentation Poster Report Writing

Evaluation Overview

100 marks
MAT399 evaluation breakdown showing presentations, poster, report, and programming components
Visual overview of the MAT399 evaluation components.

First Round Presentation

Foundation

Explain the Title

Break the title into key terms and define each clearly.

  • Identify the main mathematical words in the title.
  • Define each term before using it.
  • Provide simple examples wherever possible.

Notation and Preliminaries

Prepare the audience for your topic.

  • Introduce all symbols and notation.
  • State basic definitions needed for the project.
  • Avoid assuming specialized background.

Background and Motivation

Explain why the topic matters.

  • Describe the importance of the topic.
  • Give a motivating problem or question.
  • Mention real-world or mathematical relevance.

Plan and References

Show that the project has direction.

  • State the initial plan and expected outcomes.
  • List at least two or three references.
  • Use books, papers, lecture notes, or reliable articles.

Second Round Presentation

15-20 minutes

History 2 marks

  • When did work on this topic begin?
  • Give examples of early work, models, or reports.
  • Explain how the topic developed into different branches.

Literature Review 4 marks

  • Identify the papers, theses, lecture notes, or books being studied.
  • Summarize the outline of the main references.
  • Connect historical background to current literature.

Future Plan 4 marks

  • Describe the work planned for the next phase.
  • Mention software or computational tools, if any.
  • For modelling projects, specify the mathematics being used.
  • State what progress is expected before the final presentation.

Programming Component

Computation and communication

Programming helps you test examples, build computations, create visualizations, and communicate your project more clearly. You do not need to become a professional software developer, but you should use computation when it helps the mathematics.

  • Use code to generate examples, tables, graphs, or simulations.
  • Make computations reproducible and clearly documented.
  • Explain what your code demonstrates mathematically.
  • Use appropriate tools such as Python, R, MATLAB, SageMath, or similar software.

Final Presentation

30-minute arc

Introduction

3-4 minutes

  • Start with a hook, statistic, example, or question.
  • Define the topic and explain its relevance.
  • State the objective or main problem.
  • Give a brief roadmap of the talk.

Body

15-18 minutes

  • Give essential definitions and context.
  • Present three to five main points in a logical order.
  • Support claims with evidence, proofs, examples, graphs, or computations.
  • Interpret results; do not merely list facts.

Conclusion

3-4 minutes

  • Summarize the main findings.
  • State the key lesson or final takeaway.
  • Mention limitations and future scope.

Q&A Preparation

5-10 minutes

  • Prepare additional slides for detailed proofs, graphs, or computations.
  • Anticipate questions about assumptions, examples, and references.
  • Be ready to explain why your approach is appropriate.

Poster Presentation

Clear and visual
The poster should communicate the project clearly and visually. It must highlight the mathematical idea, your approach, and your understanding or progress.

Core Content

  • Title, student name, and supervisor name.
  • Introduction and motivation.
  • Background, history, notation, and key definitions.
  • Problem statement and approach.
  • Key results, discussion, future work, and references.

Design Guidelines

  • Use minimal text and prefer bullet points.
  • Include examples, diagrams, graphs, or tables where useful.
  • Keep mathematical notation clear and consistent.
  • Use readable font sizes and avoid overcrowding.

Flexibility Note

Not all sections are mandatory for every topic. Pure theory projects may emphasize definitions, theorems, and proofs. Applied projects may emphasize modelling, computation, graphs, and interpretation.

Report Writing

Final record

Suggested Structure

  1. Abstract: brief summary of the project.
  2. Introduction: background, motivation, and problem statement.
  3. Methodology: how the problem was approached.
  4. Results and discussion: findings and interpretation.
  5. Conclusion: summary and future work.
  6. References: complete citation of all sources used.

Mathematical Accuracy

  • Use consistent notation and define symbols before using them.
  • State theorems precisely.
  • Write proofs and explanations step by step.
  • Use formal academic English.
  • Use LaTeX or a proper equation editor for mathematical expressions.