Formal Writing Assignment #1, due 1/28 in class:

Write an essay, approximately two pages but not to exceed three, on the following topic (see syllabus for formatting guidelines).

In class and in your reading, you have seen examples of mathematical proofs and descriptions of what mathematicians mean by a proof, but mathematicians are not the only people who prove conjectures. In our everyday lives, we are surrounded by “proofs.” A lawyer proves the guilt of a defendant. A person proves his or her identity with a passport or a driver’s license. A student proves that he or she has mastered material by passing a test. Think of more examples of things that can be proved in nonmathematical contexts. What do you think it means to prove something in the world outside of mathematics? What do you think it means to prove something in mathematics? How are these notions similar or different? Support your answers with examples from your own experiences, our class, or our readings.