Final Project Reports

To get started on your reports:

• Download 4900report.tar and unpack it.
• From the root of the resulting 4900report directory, type make to build the sample report. The prerequisite software for this step is:
  • pdflatex or equivalent (e.g., MikTeX for Windows)
  • The listings LaTeX package
  • Some version of make
  If this step is successful, you should see a new file report.pdf appear in the directory in which you typed make.
• Your report will go in report.tex. Use sections, subsections, etc., as appropriate for organization. Use listings (as demonstrated in report.tex) for displaying code within your report.
• There is no lower page limit, though I expect a good report will require at least 5-7 pages (the absolute upper limit is 16 pages, the length of a conference paper -- I don't expect anyone to write that much).
• Remember: Writing a technical document like a project report almost always benefits from a strong narrative arc. Tell a story about your work that includes:
  • A well-motivated introduction: What did you do and why did you it? Why is your project interesting in the context of other work and recent developments?
  • A strong technical development: For example, for the Coq projects, clearly explain what you specified/proved and how you did it; and
  • Discussion/Conclusion: Are there interesting general lessons to be learned? What are the next steps?