not-to-do EE math topics

[Monia110]

What are EE math topics I should avoid? Is writing about RSA cryptosystem or four-colored map too common? 

[kw0573]

There are several criteria to a good EE: knowledge, originality, and communication. You should know the topic well for an HL student. The math discussed should be complex enough that you can write 15 pages or so, at the same time being to the point. Secondly, you should add personal input to the EE, not just regurgitate a textbook explanation or proof. It doesn't matter what others write for EE, as long you do not intend to plagiarize and can offer personal insights, there is no reason to avoid doing a topic that has been done before. Finally, the EE is a written submission and the communication of ideas, reasoning, and logic is more important than the quantity of calculations. That being said, math should be integrated as much as you can into the writing, and the EE should balance between theory and calculations. 

It may be betting to start from a purely mathematical perspective, then branch to applications. While this is not an exact application, an EE on modular math or Chinese remainder theorem will be a better start than RSA. It is clear that the research will be math focused, while one on RSA will inadvertently include lots of non-math descriptions that might dilute the mathematical importance. Similarly an EE on some topic of graph theory may be better than going to four-color theorem directly, as you need some technical understandings first when you approach a topic outside of syllabus. On the contrary, if you are exploring a topic within or an extension of the HL syllabus, then it's perfectly fine to have the topic on the application/problem itself, partly because you need to explain less stuff before approaching the problem. 

Hope that helps!