Considering Prof. Heil’s email I have complied a list of the criteria for my 20% Project.

For my 20% Project I’m going to be learning to write code in Mathematica to find solutions for the problems posted on Project Euler.

1 What are you going to learn (what is your “learning target”)?

For my 20% Project I’m going to be expanding my knowledge of coding by learning to write code for Mathematica. As a student at CSUSM I currently have access to Mathematica through cougarapps and I feel that I would be remiss to not give it a try while I still can. I also think that Mathematica might be a better fit for some of the mathematical problems that are in the Project Euler database.

2 How are you planning on learning it? (part of this learning must take place online)

I plan to learn this through online video instructions, tutorials, and the documentation provided inside of Mathematica.

3 List your 10 authentic questions for inquiry. . .you only need the questions. The answers will come at the end of the project)

Does Mathematica have enough built in tools to do this task? Does my knowledge of C++ transfer to Mathematica? How long will it take to get competent with Mathematica? How difficult is it to create functional algorithms in Mathematica? Are there coding considerations I should be aware of when working with Mathematica? How difficult of a task have I set for myself? Are there classes of problems that are more difficult with Mathematica? Can these problems be adjusted for use in the classroom? What mathematical fields are covered by this project? How much does Mathematica cost if I decide to keep using it after this project?

4 What will a successful outcome look like (what is your “success criteria”)?

I would consider success for this project to be the completion of at least the first 50 problems on the site.

5 (Most importantly) Is there an aspect of play and/or making in your project. Is there an opportunity for failure? It is important that you avoid pure knowledge pursuits for this project.

I enjoy completing logic puzzles like Sudoku and I have previously been working on some of these problems on this site for fun in my spare time. So I think that this project has an element of play for me.

I get satisfaction out of solving problems that are difficult, also I like reading over the different methods used by other people after I have completed a problem.

I’m not sure how much opportunity for failure is presented by this project. I know that even if I don’t finish 50 problems by the end of this course I will eventually finish them. However I would like to reach this goal if I could, even if it’s just as a personal pride thing.

6 Which tool are you going to be using for research? (I know there was a request for more clarification on tools. We can do this Monday)

I’m going to be using the internet for most of my research on this project.

While I know some Professors and Computer Science majors at the University who I could talk to about coding these types of problems, I’m rarely on campus this semester so it would be difficult to stop by and ask them for assistance.