Note Assistants: Support for Solving Math Problems
In this text I describe a method that supports think-and-write processes for the work on math problems.
Contents
What are the basic ideas?......................................................................................................................1How can I make notes?.........................................................................................................................2Note assistants: An example.................................................................................................................4How can I use the note assistant?.........................................................................................................6How can I produce and adapt my own note assistants?.......................................................................7Criticism and responses........................................................................................................................8Appendix 1: Note assistants as a framework for problem solving.......................................................9Appendix 2: Other elements in note assistants...................................................................................10Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................................11Document changes..............................................................................................................................11About the author.................................................................................................................................12
What are the basic ideas?
The method is perhaps best introduced by the term “paper software” - a “software” that does not runon a computer, but on sheets of paper, as the most flexible “hardware” available in many circumstances. Imagine on my left a single A3 sheet of paper called the “note assistant”. This acts as a kind of “menu” and contains advice for crucial problem solving situations – how to start, how to generate new ideas, what to do when I'm stuck, etc. On my right is an A4 sheet where I make the actual notes on my problem – the “editor”. As in real software, I can choose a layout suitable for my notes.Whenever I feel I could do with some problem solving support, I have a look at the menu. This menu offers things I can “insert” into the note sheet – how to arrange the notes for a special kind of investigation, what keywords to write down, and above all, what thinking tools to use, what questions to ask or what ideas to try.1
The diagram indicates how suggestions from the note assistant for various problem solving situations can be taken over into the note sheet – and that there is certainly no need to use the note assistant at all if work is going on well.Whether the items in the note assistant are actually helpful to me as the problem solver depends on my level of expertise, my note-making preferences, my field of work and other factors - so note assistants should ideally be adapted to me and evolve together with my growing experience.Later, I will present ideas on how to customize note assistants.
How can I make notes?
As mentioned, I can choose between several methods of note-making on the note sheet. Here comes my favorite, followed by a number of possible variations.
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I use a blank sheet of paper in landscape format, size A4 (or larger).
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I separate the sheet by vertical lines into four equal columns.
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I organize the text in “boxes” that are separated by horizontal lines.These boxes are labeled 1A, 1B in column 1, 2A, 2B in column 2 etc. in the upper right corner. (At this position, the labels need less column space, and it's easier to add them later.)
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In each box, I can organize the text in hierarchies by indentations.
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For a major new idea, I can start a new column.
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I can note sudden ideas at the bottom of column 4, in boxes 4Z, 4Y etc.
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To mark open issues, I can add check-boxes like “
” at the right column border. It's easy to find them later, examine the issue and tick off the check-box.
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If I want to continue the work from one box in a new one, I can indicate this by arrows between neighboring boxes or by references like “see 2C” or “from 3:1D” for box 1D on page 3.
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I can add footnotes at the bottom of a column.
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I use a mechanical pencil and an eraser. The method works best if I write fairly small.Having a non-smear pen is essential.In my eyes, this method of note-making has a number of advantages:
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As with other forms of note-making, my memory is unburdened, and I find it easier to manage complex chains of thought – and trees of thought.
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My thoughts are permanently documented.
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The method works well with usual math operations, like manipulating equations.
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By switching between columns, I can cope with changes between different lines of thought, at least to a certain degree.The same could be done by using separate sheets, but for me this is often a massive disruption of the flow of work.
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I can store away sudden ideas with ease and examine them later.
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From my experience, writing in narrowish columns encourages me to write neat notes, and this neatness transfers – to some extent – to the entire work on the math problem.There are many ways to alter the method:
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I can write on larger sheets like A3, or on A4 double pages in a notepad.
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I can try a different number of columns – especially if the columns seem too narrow.
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If labeling the boxes with 1A, 2B seems too much trouble, I can leave it out and address the boxes by coordinates: I imagine the columns separated vertically in equal parts a, b, c, d and use references like “3b”. (The printed Encyclopædia Britannica had a similar system.)2
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If a larger diagram is needed, I can use a layout like this: Notes on a problem will often stretch over more than one sheet. I have found it easier to continue my thinking when I have previous notes within sight, so for me single sheets work better than a bound notebook, where I have to switch between pages to read and to write.The problem of dealing with a large number of sheets is not within the scope of this text. My ideas on this would probably have to do with slip boxes or “Zettelkästen”.It should be clear that the method is designed for
finding
a solution, not
presenting
it.The box idea was sparked by the essay “Stop Making Stupid Mistakes” by Richard Rusczyk, founder of the “Art of Problem Solving” website (http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/).The next page shows a non-math example of a result of the note-making method. The sheet containssome aspects that have not been mentioned in the text.Remark:The tables on the following two pages should give an impression of the actual layouts. Since the first table is basically an A4 table on an A5 space and the second an A3 table on an A4 space, the text is very dense, especially if viewed on a small display. Viewing the document on a larger screen or printing it out will help. (Thanks to Dr. Houston for pointing out this problem.)3