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Martin Cueva-Garcia

Writing 2, TR 3:00-4:50pm

May 13, 2019

How Writing is Relevant in Math

Using writing in math…h… doesn’t it sound contradictory? Absolutely, not. Writing is a

key component in mathematics when it comes to learning key topics in this complex field.

Mathematics is a very broad field and has connections with many other academic disciplines.

Since it is already a pretty difficult subject, but writing helps to at least ease a bit of it. Commented [MOU1]: You’re making good points but
these points are not connected.
Specifically, I have experienced this in a course I’m taking here at the University of California

Santa Barbara, which is Math 4A: Introduction to Linear Algebra. Writing plays a huge role in

this course and it is a vital component, one which is necessary to do well in the class. Writing in
this course comes primarily through definitions, formulas, graphs, and proofs in our lectures and
Commented [MOU2]: Try to make your thesis more
specific. What writing practices will you talk about in this
paper? Why do mathematicians write like this? Will you
explore writing in a math classroom or writing in the field?

the textbook.

Math 4A, which is an introduction to linear algebra, relies heavily on writing. Writing is

used daily in this class, particularly in lecture slides. Writing is the best way for us students to Commented [MOU3]: Connect these ideas. You mention
lectures in the beginning but you don’t talk about this genre
at all. Perhaps, it will be a good idea to introduce this genre
learn basic concepts in the class, which is why our professor heavily demonstrates this when
first and then provide analysis.
If you look at the topic sentence, this paragraph should
creating his lectures. For instance, in a typical lecture theOur professor finds includingthat summarize writing strategies that used in math.

teaching simple things such as definitions and introducing theorems is significant when

understanding a basic concept. Using these strategies allows us to analyze our work in class,

rather than just calculating a problem using a formula. He tries to paint a bigger picture by doing

this, one that’s used in the real world.important later in the course. This is because it’s not always

calculating a problem using a formula; sometimes you have to analyze and think of ways to
approach a problem. By introducing these terms, he is able to show how important the topics we

are learning in class rely heavily on definitions and theorems. For exampleinstance, in one of our

his typical lecture slides our professor will take notes writing things such as “We call a set of

vectors (v1,…,vn) linearly independent if whenever a1v1 + … anvn = 0. Then a1 = a2 = …an =

0. Intuition the vectors move in

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fundamentally different directions” (Kelz, April 8, 2019). In this example, the professor

introduced the definition of linear independence, which is one of the most significant concepts in

math 4A. He introduced this topic through a definition first and then supplemented this with

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examples; “acos(x) + bsin(x) = 0. When x = 0…acos(0) + bsin(0) = 0”(Kelz, April 8, 2019). The

professor introduces definitions because students will be able to use them throughout the whole

course. The more students use and apply these definitions, the easier it is to memorize them,

which eventually is useful and therefore adds forto our understanding of the topic being taught. Commented [MOU4]: Incomplete sentence

This is something that our TA, Garo Sarajian, a graduate student at UCSB, believes is a key

component in Math 4A. He stated, “I use definitions primarily as a writing strategy. I try to be

very precise when writing and presenting them to the class. I need to make sure they areit’s
written in a nice, clear and concise way… and giving example helps explain these topics even
further” (Sarajian, Interview, 8 May 2019). Simply stating definitions is not going to help if they
Commented [MOU5]: That’s a nice integration of the
quote.
Now it’s always more effective to choose only the best part
of a quote and use it instead of writing the whole one.

aren’t supplemented with examples and more intuition to support our understanding more. This

is something our professor heavily believes and does in his lectures. He teaches the course by

giving us definitions because he wants us to understand the meaning behind what we are

learning. If he gave us formulas instead, the real understanding and meaning is left behind. In the
real world formulas aren’t always available; mathematicians are the ones who create them using

their own knowledge, which is something we are reminded of in the lecture slides. It comes to

show that writing is practically useless if you can’t use it effectively to solve a problem or

communicate with a fellow peer.

In our math class, there is always more than lecture slides when it comes to testing our Commented [MOU6]: Transition

knowledge. Our professor and TA encourage us to use the textbook as well to see its perspective Commented [MOU7]: A textbook is a genre and not a
writing strategy. The prompt asks to examine writing
strategies/practices.
helps more than what is taught in class. The textbook teaches most of the same things from

lecture, but it focuses more on formulas, graphs, and examples. It is not the main source that is

used to teach the class, but it is a very important one to have. It takes what we learn in lecture

and explains those topics even further. The textbook itself acts as a

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supplementary resource to the lectures, tests, and quizzes, and is a great alternative to those who Formatted: Indent: First line: 0"

feel the examples learned in class weren’t sufficient enough for them to fully understand. For

instance, most of the context included in the textbook is made up of definitions, examples, and

practice problems. An example of this is shown in a lesson about the linear independence of

matrices; “The columns of a matrix

A are linearly independent if and only if the equation Ax = 0 has only the trrivial solution” (Lay,

58). The textbook then goes on to give an example of this definition when it demonstrates how to

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solve a matrix and use the definition stated to determine its properties. In the example, it shows

how you can determine if something is linearly independent by row reducing a matrix and then

using the definition to state whether it is indeed linearly independent. The textbook is organized

in a way the student will want to focus on reading it. The textbook typically has chapters around
80 pages long and divided in about 5 to 6 different sections consisting of about 15 pages. The

sections focus on a small lesson in the chapter. For instance, in lecture we learned about linear

dependence and independence. The textbook is structured in a way that has one lesson on linear

independence, and another on linear dependence. Another lesson will focus on linear

independence and dependence of something like a matrix. In each section, the book shows

definitions and then includes and example to show how to apply a definition. It will then say

something such as “Test your knowledge” after showing two to three examples so we can keep

up and test our knowledge. This is something our professor does in lecture too as he will have us

test our knowledge in lecture slides, by asking us I-Clicker questions. The textbook also unlike in

lecture gives many formulas. As said previously this is something our professor rarely does and

only shows them for us to use in something like a quiz where we have limited time. The textbook

for instance would state something like “det(A) = (entry A x D) – (entry B x C)” (Lay, 103). In

addition to this, in lecture we learned that linear

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dependence and independence create both a plane and a line respectively. The textbook goes on Formatted: Indent: First line: 0"

to demonstrate how this process works by showing graphs.

Most of the textbook is just based on definitions, theorems, and examples to help test the Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5"

knowledge we learn in lecture. The textbook is a great way for us to practice our skills and see

what we may need more work on. This shows how writing once again is integrated in a great

way into math textbooks for us to understand these complex concepts in a simpler way. The

textbook itself will also show different aspects on how to approach a certain problem; that is, it’ll

show you different methods you can use when solving a problem. This is the uniqueness of math,

that there is no defined way of obtaining an answer; there is always more than one way to do so.
In lecture we may learn the idea of testing linear independence using say matrices and row

reduction, whereas the textbook may expand more on this and perhaps even give another method

such as setting up a system of equations. A textbook is simply helpful for those who may not

capture a great understanding of the lecture slides, especially because time is limited. What you

don’t fully understand in those 50 minutes of lecture, you can always go back and see the

textbook’s way of teaching this same topic. It is simply a great alternative to those who may not

understand the professor’s methods of teaching, or even for those who are overachievers and

want to perfect their knowledge.
Simply using writing in a math class isn’t effective enough. Writing if used at all in the
course needs to be presented in an efficient way for the audience which us students to understand
Commented [MOU8]: This paragraph focuses on the
contents of the textbook and its effectiveness. While these
aspects are important, the prompt asks you to focus on
writing strategies. How is the textbook organized?
Titles/subtitles? Images? Graphs? Formulas etc.? Why does
it use simple language? How long are chapters?

it in the best possible manner. Writing is such an important tool in math classes that it is used in

many ways both in and out of the classroom. For instance, our TA Garo Sarajian Commented [MOU9]: These are two different ideas. Will
you paragraph focus on the first idea or the second one?
Choose one and cut the other.
explained how writing is not just used in Math 4A, as it is also used in many upper division
Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5"
courses, with even

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some essentially being writing classes as they’re solely based on proving theorems.

Preparing students beforehand to use writing is effective once you get into those upper division

classes as they get more complex and you need to explain certain things more effectively.

Learning simple concepts is necessary as linear algebra becomes s

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significant later in your life for careers such as architecture or even in physcs. An example of this

is shown in the article “Reconstruction of Forms by Linear Algebra” as the authors Elena
Marchetti and Luisa Rossi Costa state “We think linear algebra is an easy tool for working with

lines and surfaces…It is crucial for student to learn to use them

with efficacy” (59). They simply state here what our professor and tutor believe in showing how

learning simple things like definitions and theorems is crucial in the long run for the best

understanding of the course. They later go on to say that “the first step is to present the theory of

matrices and vector calculus. The second step is to give the students geometrical applications in

2D and 3D cartesian spaces. The third step is to apply matrices and vector calculus to significant

examples in the artistic and architectural field” (Marchetti, 59). This again demonstrates that

writing, whether its through definitions, formulas, or understanding a graph is a great resource Commented [MOU10]: What kind of writing? Please,
spend more time on discussing writing strategies.
for us to understand key definitions and concepts. It is necessary to understand definitions and

theorems to later apply them to more complex things such as 2D and 3D models as stated here

which is part of a later math course taught here at UCSB. When these concepts are presented

effectively through these writing strategies it is easy for us students to apply them effectively.

The way in which something is presented is crucial in order to have a great

understanding. As previously stated, things in our linear algebra class have to be presented

carefully. An example of this is when our professor gives out flash cards for us to study terms

right before an exam. He presents them in a simple and easy way in which we will understand it

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and apply it. He does this because on an exam he expects us to use that definition to explain what

is asked in the problem. Once again this is shown in the article “A survey of language-oriented

systems for numerical linear algebra” in which it is explained how significant it is to understand

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simple terms. The authors Dana L. Ulery and H. M Khalil state “The manipulation of matrices

and solution of linear algebraic equations are the most frequently encountered tasks in scientific

computing…problems in computer science, statistics, engineering, mathematics and optimization

tend to be formulated as sequences of linear systems” (82). This is exactly why it is important to

understand even the simplest of terms if you are planning on pursuing a degree in this field.

Several careers in the math and science fields as stated here are based on simple topic that we are

currently going over in our linear algebra class. This explains why writing is significant in the

course as terms, theorems, etc. have to be presented accurately to get its purpose across. If we

can understand something simple like this then it becomes simpler when these skills are applied

in real life situations. In essence, writing helps to prepare a mathematician to communicate and

work with others more effectively.

Math is universal; it can be taught and learned in various ways. In this field there are

many forms of communicating topics through this already complex subject. In Math 4A this is

shown as writing is used to explain theorems, terms, equations, and formulas. The class sounds

like it’s only based on numbers and equations, but to fully understand the course and become

prepared for future math courses, writing is vital. It is simply needed to communicate in this

course and in this field overall; it helps to jot down ideas and see where you have gone wrong

and need to put extra effort in. Our goal in linear algebra is to demonstrate we know the basic

terminology well enough to explain a concept effectively through our tests, quizzes, and

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homework assignments. Through writing we establish our reasoning on how we do things, and it

is also a great way to communicate with our professor, ta, and fellow peers. Using writing in
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math is something incredible; it makes communication easier in this complex subject and it is a

necessary tool to understand the course essentials.

 Works Cited

1. Elena Marchetti, Luisa Rossi Costa. Reconstruction of Forms by Linear Algebra, Nexus

Network Journal, 2005, 58-68, DOI: 10.1007/s00004-005-0006-2

2. Kelz, Justin. “Injective v. Surjective” Math 4A: Intro to Linear Algebra, 3 May. 2019,

University of California Santa Barbara. Lecture.

3. Kelz, Justin. “Linear Independence” Math 4A: Intro to Linear Algebra, 8 April. 2019,

University of California Santa Barbara. Lecture.

4. Lay, David. Linear Algebra and its Applications. Pearson. 24 Dec. 2014.

5. Ulery, D. L., Khalil, H. M.. survey of language-oriented systems for numerical linear

algebra, The Computer Journal, 1974, 82-88, DOI: 10.1093/comjnl/17.1.82