Uncle Petros Reflection Paper Assignment
You were exposed to the following themes concerning mathematics and its place in human
culture as you read Uncle Petros:
 What is the goal of mathematics?
 What makes mathematics interesting?
 What constitutes “useful mathematical work,” and what is its purpose?
 Does mathematics describe the world, or does the world illustrate mathematics?
Taking as your thesis Uncle Petros’s statement, “Mathematics is infinitely more interesting
than solving second-degree equations and finding volumes of solids,”1 your assignment is to
support your thesis using the novel as a major—but not the only—source. You must use at
least two additional sources, none of which is a review of the novel.

You may find it useful to consider how Uncle Petros would respond to the questions
listed above. Where appropriate, cite specific examples from the book.

Uncle Petros is only one mathematician (and a fictional one at that). Compare and
contrast Uncle Petros’s life and career to the life and career of at least one other
mathematician mentioned in the book. Consider especially how Uncle Petros’s
philosophy of math compares with that of other mathematicians.
Due Date
April 24, 2012
If this due date presents a problem, papers may be submitted by midnight April 29. No
late papers will be accepted.
Mechanics


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Paper shall be typed2 using a 12-point,.normal font; double-spaced, on 8½ x 11
paper with no margins greater than 1”.
Length shall be 8 - 10 pages (12 point type, double spaced)
References (e.g. books, articles, websites) shall be cited at the appropriate points in
the text using one of two standard styles—APA or MLA—and listed as References
or Bibliography, depending on the style used. For help on how to cite sources and
create a Bibliography see bibme.org .
1
Doxiades, Apostolos K. (2000) Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture. New York:Bloosbury, p. 25.
2
If you prefer, the paper can be submitted as an email attachment. The format of the file must be either
Microsoft Word document (.doc) or rich-text format (.rtf).
Requirements3
The paper must contain:
 a clearly formulated thesis statement that is based on the assigned thesis statement.
 at least two published sources—print or Internet—in addition to Doxiades’ text
 an argument that is coherent, logically compelling, and forcefully set forth so that it
supports the thesis, and moves with clear transitions from one sentence (or paragraph
or idea) to the next
 specific, concrete supporting detail from the materials being analyzed, correlated
appropriately with the argument
 coherent, forceful, graceful and engaging writing that is free of mechanical errors
(e.g., subject/verb disagreement, sentence fragments, dangling or misplaced
modifiers, unclear reference of pronouns, faulty paragraphing, spelling and
punctuation errors, ambiguity, etc.)
 careful and specific documentation from the work(s) under discussion
For help in planning and writing a paper about
literature, you are encouraged to visit this website
University of Toronto Writing Handout
3
from an assignment developed by Mark McCombs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
http://www.math.unc.edu/Faculty/mccombs/math18/Math18WritingAssignment3.htm