Math Extended Essay Topic

[guamer]

Hey guys, I wanted to do my extended essay on math and I'm having the usual problem as many people do: finding a manageable topic. I wanted to do my extended essay on a topic in graph theory, something along the lines of minimum spanning trees or graph connectivity (maybe colorings.. too easy?). But then my friend suggested I work with homeomorphically irreducible trees (similar to the Good Will Hunting problem) and find general patterns for degree n... and I realized that may be way too complicated and its probably unsovled stil. I also thought investigating how isomorphisms of trees can be used to generate more trees.

I took a college course in graph theory two years ago and number theory a year ago so I thought it could help me (not like I remember much haha). So basically, I'm open to any suggestions on topics.

On a side note, I'm in Further Math, so I would need to choose a topic beyond that.. so no GPS tracking

Thanks for the help!!

Edited May 30, 2011 by Austin Glau
no text speak

[dessskris]

there is no way you can do your topic on a complicated unsolved problem. I mean, if the master and famous mathematicians can't even solve it, how do you expect to be able to solve? dreaming high and being realistic are different... even though you are in Further Math, but still..!

I had a really hard time too finding my topic, I've got a lot of ideas, changed topics back and forth, but finally I came up with a proper one.

my suggestions to you are to read books or collections of math problems, or maybe olympiad questions. have a good look at simple problems, and think if you can extend it to be a more interesting and complicated (but not TOO complicated) problem. read math blogs, do a lot of research, be creative, and one last tips if you still can't find a good topic:

change your subject area to any subject other than math.

[guamer]

Yup now i'm doing physics.. any suggestions on physics topics?? Thanks.