Extended Essay Essentials

Introduction to the EE in Mathematics

From Mathematics: An Introduction:

An extended essay (EE) in mathematics is intended for students who are writing on any topic that has a mathematical focus and it need not be confined to the theory of mathematics itself.

Essays in this group are divided into six categories:

• the applicability of mathematics to solve both real and abstract problems
• the beauty of mathematics in the proving of theorems - e.g., number theory
• the history of mathematics; the origin and subsequent development of a branch of mathematics over a period of time, measured in tens, hundreds, or thousands of years
• the effect of technology on mathematics:
  • in forging links between different branches of mathematics,
  • or in bringing about a new branch of mathematics, or causing a particular branch to flourish.

For a longer general overview of an arts-related EE, see Mathematics: An Introduction. This document contains information on:

• Topic Selection
• Examples of Topics
• Treatment of the Topic
• Research Methods
• A Framework for the EE in the Mathematics.

Mathematics EE Essentials

• Mathematics Subject Specific Guidelines - A short guide on how to write the Mathematics EE
• Score Reports - See what students did (and did not do) well in these short reports from the chief examiner.
• Sample Papers - Read sample EE papers provided by IB and see how they scored