<p>Ok, now that I have your attention.....please chance me.</p>
<p>XD. jk.</p>
<p>So I want to send a research paper, but the thing is, I'm not sure how original of a paper it is. I've definitely studied and understood the topic well, but I haven't extended the work of others or made any real progress.</p>
<p>The problem is this is the only real science activity I've done.
What should I do?</p>
<p>just send it in; i dont think caltech will look too favorably upon you if this is the only hobby of science you have shown. Realize that caltech is a reasearch institute and love for science is key and ideal for the applicant.
what is the topic about anyways?
Any idea is good as long as it is new and not copied</p>
<p>yea, the thing is, I've spent half my time on music. So all I've really done is read a lot of math, philosophy of math, physics, etc. Like are there really such a thing as infinitesimal numbers? Was Poincare justified in saying that transfinite cardinal numbers are bogus and irrational? Topics like that.</p>
<p>And I've done some research in the twin prime conjecture (using some basic real analysis). I basically presented some theorems that have been proposed over the years and worked out some interesting exercises, made some commentary about how we could tackle the problem. I'm currently studying Lesbegue integration and other topics fourier analysis as well as pde's. (also abstract alg. and basic topology but that's pretty standard material). </p>
<p>It's really hard to produce research papers in math unless ur studying at the graduate level, and I didn't start calc BC until 10th grade. So it's been tough trying to get a paper done in time for college (not even sure if it's research, feels more like a presentation of previous results by other people with added observations). </p>
<p>My old mentor suggested I do engineering research instead simply because it takes FAR less background knowledge, but ionno...I've really wanted to devote all of my limited amount of time to further my mathematics background. I love science in general but math just has a special place in my heart (god that sounds really gay, but whatever).</p>
<p>So now, I'm wondering if I made the right decision to not do that engineering project. sigh. o well, if all fails I can still go to berkeley, LOL. ok no but really, Caltech is like my dream school.</p>
<p>you should of studied mathematics in terms of biology... quantum mathematics is a good thing to research... its applications are amazing...</p>
<p>Are you just taking mathematics/physics/chemistry are ur school?</p>
<p>I appreciate your advice but I'm already a senior in high school if you haven't figured it out yet.</p>
<p>But yes it uses math; I can't believe they use category theory to model things.</p>
<p>Do it. If it's not plagiarized then you have nothing to lose. Besides, it sounds like you're very interested in mathematics, so that's definitely something you want to stress in your application.</p>
<p>oh dude, I did a research paper on that too. AWESOME! We should like exchange papers, lol. jk</p>
<p>LOL. wow. are u applying this year? you better not.... jkjk.</p>
<p>yea, when i first saw the problem a while ago (a long long time ago), I was like. alright, I'm gonna solve this problem before college and become famous. LOL. never happened.</p>
<p>Actually, I'm sort of interested in what you have done in music. I can't remember what the app says about submitting research, but I don't think it is limited by subjects. Have you done any research in music or composing? Music does involve both math and science to a certain extent. Many students at Caltech have been involved in music as well.</p>
<p>you means besides researching the fundamental meaning of the harmonic series :]
lol prime, I am applying but not EA; yeah so many of my friends want to solve the twin prime conjecture too. Any other work you have done?
I have done 2-3 research papers in physics, about 2 in math and 1 in bio :] (none of them published)</p>
<p>crazymom, I haven't done any scientific research in music. I just play music (violin to be exact). Though, I am curious to find out why certain patterns of notes or qualities of tones make us feel really good. lol.</p>
<p>st. aegis, thats crazy...6 papers! just wondering, how long are they? </p>
<p>I've only written a paper on twin primes and another elliptic curves and cryptography. zzzz....Lol.
I so wanted to do a paper on elliptic operators but couldn't study fast enough. haha.</p>
<p>You sound perfect for Caltech. Are you trying EA for the medical thing? If it makes you feel any better on your research quandary, my son did not apply EA but was admitted in the regular admissions cycle without submitting any research at all. Sounds like you at least have something you can send.</p>
<p>lets see, my paper on
refraction; 6 pages
lorentz transformations; 3 pages (really concise)
and i guess you could call my work on three body systems another research (11 pages)
twin primes (7 pages)
I forgot the other one; i think it was related to CS anyhows
bio: Some cancer research, but nothing as significant as the others (11 pages)</p>
<p>Yeah, mine are way way way too long :[</p>
<p>so back to the original question. does your paper have to have actual results to be considered?</p>
<p>well the physics led me to prove very simple ideas (i couldnt find the proofs) <==they were still hard.
math: yes good conclusions, but still incomplete
bio: interesting results, especially useful in stem cell work</p>
<p>I think each except for the math papers could be published, with alot of edits, so I dunno. If you want, we can exchange papers, if that is what is bothering you lol</p>
<p>I've got a question of similar sorts. I have a paper on Quantum entanglement and special relativity but its applies to only a very small range of topics, meaning that it is only a corner of a large idea. How will the admissions staff look on this? Will it really be all that helpful to me?</p>
<p>and how about a research paper on speech and hearing sciences, more specifically on animal acoustics? I mean, you wouldn't find too many people who knows animal acoustics except in certain labs?
And I am one of the co-authors, but I only made a small contribution to the project the professor had worked on for years, and I believe I didn't do any thing majorly, but I did learn and gain some experience out of this internship.</p>
<p>wow, two people are trying to jack my thread. thanks a lot. XD
But yea, guys, if you've made any kind of new discovery or result...SEND IT. </p>
<p>The real problem is if there isn't really a new result. Does anyone know if the admissions officers allow those kinds of reports? More importantly, does it help or hurt?</p>
<p>Maybe if you approached it with in a novel new way it will help quite a bit. The results of my project seem somewhat insignificant to me.</p>
<p>see the whole point of a reasearch project is to confirm or to develop a new idea. Without that, it really isnt a reasearch project now is it?</p>