1. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 1 “Writing” and “Speaking” Written and Oral Presentations Writing Papers and Giving Talks Part of the Block Course „Working Techniques“ in the Frame of the International Master‘s Program for Informatics Johannes Kepler University, Campus Hagenberg, Austria September 2008

2. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 2 Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008: No parts of this file may be copied or stored without written permission. Storing and printed granted for the students of the International Master’s Program in Informatics, JKU, Campus Hagenberg, September 2008 under the condition that the file is kept unchanged and complete including this copyright note.

3. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 3 Contents: The Role of Written and Oral Presentations The Parameters on Which Presentations Depend Structure of Written and Oral Presentations Technicalities of Written and Oral Presentations

4. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 4 The Role of Written and Oral Presentations

5. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 5 Situations for Presentations: Examples a seminar paper with talk an interview at a company product presentation at a costumer teaching users of a software system explaining your parents what you are doing a master’s thesis a paper for a journal a paper for a conference with talk writing a proposal for a fellowship writing a project proposal meeting a politician a radio interview writing a press release “talk to yourself” …

6. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 6 Presen- tation Lots of Work Little Work

7. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 7 Reading (listening) should be less work than re-invention. Good work is lost by bad presentation. Bad presentation is also bad for the author: The readers will prefer to re-invent rather than to read (or to listen to others).

8. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 8 The Golden Rule for Presentations: Spend your time as an author for saving the time of the reader!

9. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 9 The Myth on Mathematical Intelligence: “He has got the right idea but he is just not able to express it.”

10. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 10 Contents: The Role of Written and Oral Presentations The Parameters on Which Presentations Depend Structure of Written and Oral Presentations Technicalities

11. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 11 The Parameters on which Presentations Depend A Common Misunderstanding: A “topic” The presentation oral / written

12. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 12 Rather: A “Topic” The presentation The addressees Size constraints Chosen media

13. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 13 Also: The Process of Presentation is a Spiral The presentation A “topic”

14. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 14 Also: The Presentation Spiral is the Crucial Method of Research A “topic” “Ideas do not come from Kami but from Kami”

15. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 15 Some Consequences: Never give the same talk twice! Don’t present a paper by presenting the paper! Much of your writing is only for yourself.

16. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 16 Rather: A “topic” The presentation The addressees Size constraints Chosen media - contents (the “topic”) - goals - point of emphasis - profession - training - motivation - age - relationship - no media - paper - blackboard - slides - interactive media - space - time

17. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 17 Some Consequences: Learn to express one content for many different addressees using arbitrary media under arbitrary constraints Force yourself to adjust to the addressee, don’t force the addressee to adjust to you.

18. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 18 Goals: Goal /= “topic” Same topic, different goals  different presentation ! Goals should be “operational”. Clear goals are the best motivation for the addressees.

19. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 19 An operational specification of a goal: Describes the operation the reader / listener should be able to perform after reading / hearing the presentation. Non-operational: The reader should “understand”. Of course, all this has to be taken “cum grano salis” !!

20. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 20 Example: Paper by B. Buchberger, Towards the Automated Synthesis of a Gröbner Bases Algorithm The “topic” is clear. However, many different operational goals possible: The reader should be able –to explain the main idea in examples  write a “tutorial” –to develop all details of the algorithm so that he can program it  write a “program specification” –to fill in all the details of the proof  write a “mathematical foundations paper” –to use the program and apply it as a black box  write a “user’s manual” –to change the program  write a “documentation”

21. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 21 Exercise: What are (should / could be) the operational goals behind Buchberger’s paper?

22. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 22 The point(s) of emphasis: One or very few points of emphasis. Should be clear to the author, should be clear to the addressee. Napoleon: “Only chase one rabbit at a time!”

23. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 23 Exercise: What is (should / could be) the point of emphasis in Buchberger’s paper?

24. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 24 Contents: The Role of Written and Oral Presentations The Parameters on Which Presentations Depend Structure of Written and Oral Presentations Technicalities of Written and Oral Presentations

25. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 25 The Structure of Presentations Some structural considerations are common to oral and written presentations (talks and papers). Some other structural considerations depend on the “media” used.

26. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 26 Three psychologic facts behind the art of presentation: -Good motivation facilitates understanding. -Well associated contents can more easily be kept in brain. -Consecutive learning blocks may disturb each other. As a consequence, the following “presentation curve” is fundamental.

27. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 27 Motivation PresentationAssociation

28. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 28 Problem Beyond the capabilities of addressee ! Solution MethodSolution Now within the capabilities of addressee! The most natural way of presenting mathematics / informatics:

29. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 29 For many mathematical papers and talks, a well chosen example can / should be the center of the paper. The basic rule for good examples: - as simple as possible - as complicated as necessary. This rule also applies to everything else in mathematics: drawings, definitions, proofs, algorithms, …

30. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 30 Set (operational) goal Work hard Enjoy

31. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 31 The presentation curve is a fractal: - an entire study - an entire course - a lecture - part of a lecture

32. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 32 Don’t do this: Why not?

33. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 33 Another rule for presentations: The complete contents should be presented in a couple of rounds of increasing detail. in the title in the abstract in the introduction in the technical part for the “user” in the technical part for the “developer” (in the conclusions for those who have read the paper) Note: the addressee changes in the different parts of a paper!

34. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 34 A typical structure of papers: Title Author, affiliation, bibliographic data Abstract Introduction / literature review Technical part for the “users” Technical part for the “developers” Conclusion References Appendices

35. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 35 Title: A good structure: according to problem type, data type, method type.

36. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 36 data types method types problem types EQUATIONS BOOLEAN ALGEBRAS ELIMINATION SOLUTION OF BOOLEAN EQUATIONS BY ELIMINATION Mathematics as a 3-D space

37. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 37 Author, Affiliation, Bibliographic Information: Should enable the reader to get in contact with the author. Should enable the reader to cite the paper or to search for citations.

38. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 38 Abstract: Note that the addressees are readers who do not have the paper!

39. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 39 Introduction / Literature Review: The place for motivation! The place for the main example! The place that convinces the referees about –scope –clarity –importance –difficulty (non-triviality) –originality (difference to other work, “statement of originality”) –completeness of literature survey –presentation The place for “reading instructions”

40. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 40 The Technical Parts of the Paper: –The main prerequisite is thorough mastery of the formal aspect of the mathematical methodology, see Chapter “Thinking”. –Only things that are correct can also be presented well! –If one masters the formal aspect of mathematics then one can play with “styles” in dependence of the input parameters of the presentation.

41. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 41 Differences between the structure of papers and talks: Talks: Interaction with the addressees possible and desirable. Talks: A variety of different media is available (blackboards, data projector, speech) Talks: Proceed in real-time (with the same speed for all people in the audience) Talks need an extra written preparation, which is different from the paper!

42. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 42 Written Preparation for a Talk: Goal Psycho Technicalities The actual text of the presentation …… …... M P A P MediaTime Blackbd. Data Proj. A

43. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 43 Exercise: Analyze the structure of Buchberger’s paper.

44. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 44 Contents: The Role of Written and Oral Presentations The Parameters on Which Presentations Depend Structur of Written and Oral Presentations Technicalities of Written and Oral Presentations

45. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 45 Technicalities Technicalities of Talks: see lecture notes. -Blackboards and slides: -On slides we “present” facts. (Don’t overload!) -On blackboards we develop ideas.

46. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 46 Technicalities of Writing Papers: The interplay between text and formulae: syntactical correctness! Easy readability. Uniformity in style.

47. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 47 Some Difficulties in English: The use of passive, “one”, “we”, “I”. “which” and “that” “don’t” and “do not”, “it’s” and “its”. “the”, “a”, “an” and “ “: The have logical meaning! “a” …. “existential quantifier” “the” … instead of a constant (Advice: collect 100 sample phrases from good papers!) British and American English.

48. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 48 Contents: The Role of Written and Oral Presentations The Parameters on Which Presentations Depend Structure of Written and Oral Presentations Technicalities of Written and Oral Presentations

49. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 49 Exercise: Choose (a very limited) topic and prepare three versions of a paper and a talk on the topic in dependence on various settings of the “input parameters” for the presentation.

50. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 50 Conclusion (Points of Emphasis of this Lecture) The dependence of presentations on the input parameters: A “Topic” The presentation The addressees Size constraints Chosen media The “presentation curve”: Formal mastery of mathematics is the basis for good style.

51. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 51 Another Summary: The 5 aspects and criteria for good talks and papers „Facto“ (math / comp scie contents): goal oriented „ Logo“: mastering the logical aspect of math / comp scie „ Socio“: directed to a particular audience / readership „ Psycho“: respecting the psychologic fact of learning „Techno“: the technicalities of talks and papers

52. Copyright Bruno Buchberger 2008 52 Additional Details