Manual for Monthly Authors

Author(s): Harley Flanders

Source: The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 78, No. 1 (Jan., 1971), pp. 1-10
Published by: Mathematical Association of America
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2317481
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 MANUAL FOR MONTHLY AUTHORS'
HARLEY FLANDERS
Cnntentst

1. Introduction S. Galleyproofs
2. Manuscriptpreparation 6. Avoidingbad writing
3. MONTHLYhouserules 7. Goodwriting
4. matter
Reference 8. References

1. Introduction
This article was written to help authors prepare manuscripts for the
MONTHLY. Sections 2-5 cover technicalitiesof typing,notation,references,and
proofreading.Sections 6 and 7 cover some writingand expositionproblems.This
material representsthe opinions and policies of the presentMONTHLY Editor; it
does not representofficialMAA poliCy.2
The MONTHLY is not a researchjournal; it is a journal read by a large audi-
ence and retained. Therefore,clarityof writingand pleasing appearance of the
printed page are especially desirable. The MONTHLY author should remember
that most of his readers are teachersof college mathematics,and he should try
to writein a clear and livelyexpositorystyle.
Reading a mathematical article is a slow process, even if the article is well
written.If the article is badly written,this task can be difficultand frustrating.
The potential author mightread a recentMONTHLY expositoryarticle or two in
an unfamiliarfield,and thenask himselfif the author has been both stimulating
and considerate of the nonspecialist's limitations.The MONTHLY, unlike a re-
search journal, is responsiblefirstto its readers,then to its authors. The editors
will insistupon a highstandard of mathematicalexposition.
What happens to an article after it has been accepted by the MONTHLY?
First,an editorgoes over the manuscript,makingminorcorrectionsin grammar,
punctuation,and spacing of formulas.He checks that all new termsappear in
boldface and that the author's symbolsare suitable, but he does not rewritethe
paper. If a major rewritingjob is needed on portionsof the article, the author
must do it.
Second, the copy editor prepares the manuscriptforthe printer.The copy
editor checks spelling, grammar, punctuation, and consistency of notation,
numberings,and references.He marks type fonts:italics, boldface,small caps,
etc., and type sizes: ten point,eightpoint,superscript,etc. He marks the proper
space between each pair of symbols: em quad, thin space, hair space, etc. The
editor's correctionsand the copy editor's marks and instructionsto the printer
I Copies of thisarticleare available upon requestfromthe MathematicalAssociationof
America,1225Connecticut Avenue,N. W., Washington, D. C. 20036.
2 The authoracknowledges his gratitudeto thefollowing formanyvaluable
mathematicians
suggestions:
C. Allendoerfer,R. Boas, R. Hailpern,I. Niven,A. Rosenberg,E. P. Starke.
1

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2 HARLEY FLANDERS [January

require much space between the manuscriptlines and in the margin. That is
why the author is requested to triple-spacehis manuscriptand to leave wide
margins.
Third, the copy-editedmanuscriptgoes to the printer,who sets it in mono-
type and pulls galley proofs.The galleys are correctedby the author, the editor,
and the copy editor. The copy editor correlates all correctionsand makes up
pages.
Fourth, the printercorrectshis type and pulls page proofs.These are cor-
rected by the editor and by the copy editor, but not by the author. The final
correctionsgo to the printer,who then printsand mails the MONTHLY.

2. Manuscript preparation
Use a typewriterwith large type (pica, not elite) if at all possible. Clean the
type! Use a freshribbon!
Type TRIPLE SPACE; this means everything: text, references,tables, and
formulas.Leave WIDE MARGINS; the copy editor needs the space.
Warn your typistthat handwrittensymbolsand formulasrequiremore than
twice as much space, both horizontaland vertical,as the same thingstyped.
Use open spacing; it is easier on the printer,and it allows room for the copy
editor's marks:

x + y not x+y

(x - y) not (x-y)

f (x) dx not f (x) dx

A clutteredmanuscriptinvariably results in many printingerrors;a clean

open manuscriptresultsin virtuallyperfecttype setting.
A complicated formula,especially one involvingquotients,is usually clearer
to the printerif neatly handwrittenthan if typed. The spacing in formulasis
critical; few typists can space formulascorrectly,and you cannot expect the
copy editor or printerto guess properspacing of a badly typed formula.Use a
finepoint black pen that does not smear.
Submit the originaltyped manuscriptand one carbon or Xerox copy. A dark
clean Xerox is a satisfactorysubstitute for the original; also a mimeographed
copy may be satisfactoryif made on good equipment froman excellentstencil.
Ditto copies (usually blurred) are not acceptable, nor are Thermofax,Verifax,
etc., copies.
Use good quality bond paper that can withstand much handling. "Eras-
able" bond (under various trade names) is unsatisfactory-it is hard to edit,
and it blurs under handling. Figures must be drawn in ink on separate sheets,
approximatelydouble-size.

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1971] MANUAL FOR MONTHLY AUTHORS 3

3. MONTHLYhouse rules
Neverbegina sentencewitha mathematical symbol.
Centerrepeateddotsin productsand sequences:

X1X2 * * *Xn not x1x2 ... x.X

B1, B2, - *, B. not B1, B2, . . ., Bn

Do notimprovise
symbolson thetypewriter;
writethembyhand.Examples:
A X B, not AxB, AXB, A><B

S o TX not S o T or S 0 T

Carefullydistinguish
(perhapsby marginalnotes) between:

o, 0, 0 oh, Oh, zero

4, (b, 0 phi,Phi, nullset

e, e, C ee, epsilon,belongsto

x, X, X, X ex, Ex, chi, multiplicationsign

1, 1 X, I one,ell, verticalstroke

U, up, U You, cup, union

k, K, K kay, Kay, kappa.

Subscript"oh" is not zero:

xo xi, not xo,xl-

Display complexformulasand all formulasmorethan 1.5 incheslong.Ex-

pressionslike f'f(x)dx, limx0o
g(x), E' I at may be used in the body of a
paragraph;morecomplexexpressions like

f f(x)dx, ani e
1 -x
mustbe displayed.
Avoidambiguitiesin fractions. Use case fractions(, 4,and othercommon
numerical
fractions)orshilling(slash)fractions(1/2,x/4, ** - ) in thebodyofa

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4 HARLEY FLANDERS [January

paragraph. Use built-up fractionsin displays:

z x-y 1-3* *(2n-1)
1 +-, etc.
2 x+y 2.4.. (2n)
If you write 1 +z/n in the body of a paragraph, it may be clear to the reader
that you mean 1 +(z/n), not (1 +z)/n. But if you writez/n+1, the reader may
read z/(n + 1). Built-up fractionsare best in displays:
2 00 r0. . . r
_J .. . not 2/rf or (2/7r) f ..

Separate symbols by words.

BAD: Consider SQ,q<p, etc.
GOOD: Consider Sq, where q <p, etc.
BAD: If X, Y are compact T2, Y is normal.
GOOD: If X and Y are compact T2 spaces, then Y is normal.
BAD: Let x, y be in A.
FAIR: Let x, yEA.
GOOD: Let x and y be in A.

BAD: If H is a subgroup, [G:H] denotes the index of H in G, G/H denotes

the leftcoset space, etc.
GOOD: . . . in G, whereas G/H denotes etc.

BAD: Now consider Aij= bij-bji (i, j=1, *.* , n).

GOOD: Now consider A ij = bj- bji, where i, j = 1, * * n.

The line before the statement of a theorem (definition,lemma, corollary)

must close with a period or colon.
UNACCEPTABLE: We now prove the following
THEOREM. Suppose H(x) etc.

Straight black underlinemeans italics, nothingelse. You should so mark

(i) each word in the statementof a lemma, theorem,or corollary,
(ii) any word you particularlywant emphasized,
(iii) nothingelse; do not do the copy editor's work-you will only make it
harder forhim.
While it is common practice to italicize each new term,we preferboldface
fornew termsbecause it is so easy to findon a page.
Footnotes (except one acknowledgment) are usually not allowed in the
MONTHLY.They are more expensive to set in type than the same material in
the text,and are difficultto page properly.You may either

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1971] MANUAL FOR MONTHLY AUTHORS 5

(i) insertyour notes in the text as remarksor parentheticalnotes, or

(ii) collect them togetherat the end of the article.
The formeris much easier on the reader.

Capitalize correctly;names are capitalized. MONTHLYstyle is illustratedby:

"Lemma 5 of Section 3," but "the theoremin the last section."
CURRENT MONTHLY USAGE:

Riemann Hypothesis Fourier series

Fermat's Last Theorem Banach algebra
Whitney Imbedding Theorem Lebesgue integral
Axiom of Choice Lipschitz condition
Gauss's Lemma

4. Reference matter
All referencesshould be listed at the end of the article. Follow the current
MONTHLY formatin your entries.Note particularly:
(i) Books: each principal word of the title is capitalized; the date is not
parenthetical.
(ii) Journalarticles: only the firstword of the titleis capitalized; the date is
parenthetical.
EXCEPTIONS: French and German titles followthe rules customary in those
languages. Translate Russian titles if possible.
Text referenceshave the form"Hilbert [2]," or "E. Cartan [7, p. 104]," or
'Hardy [4, Theorem 1.2]."
Text referencesto long articles or books must give a precise page (section,
theorem)location. Do not expect the reader to thumb througha whole book for
one little fact used in your proof.
Essential referencesto obscure sources not readily available to t,hecollege
mathematicianare unacceptable. If there are no other sources, you should ex-
pound the needed definitionsor theoremsin detail.

5. Galley proofs
Return your corrected proofs on time. The MONTHLY works on a close
schedule; if you pass the deadline, some of your correctionsmay never be
inserted.Extensive changes in galley may result in several monthspublication
delay.
The editors check the galley proofs against your manuscript. They also
catch technical errorssuch as broken letters,crooked lines, etc.; do not worry
about such items. However, the author alone is responsibleforthe mathematical
accuracy of the galley proofs. Remember that a minute misprintcan make a
whole proofincomprehensibleto the non-specialist.Here are the main signsyou
will need forcorrectinggalleys:

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6 HARLEY FLANDERS [January

/>9~delete A insert

0 closeup / insertspace
,gdelete and close up paragraph

1A,,u'transpose 0 period
, subscript A- comma

4 superscript(exponent) raise

cap gauss capital L4 lower

kclemma lowercase 4 wrongfont

Write out anythingelse you want; the editors understand plain English. Each
galley correctionmust be marked both in the text and in the adjacent margin.
6. Avoidingbad writing
Write in complete sentences (subject, verb, object, period). Avoid stringsof
needless words.
BAD: ... is such that ....
GOOD: .. . satisfies....

BAD: At this point we shall discuss whetherthe hypothesesof Theorem 4

can be weakened.
GOOD: Can the hypothesesof Theorem 4 be weakened?
BAD: Because of the fact that F is a maximal subfield,we see that A is an
ideal.
GOOD: Since F is a maximal subfield,A is an ideal.
Avoid unnecessarysymbols.
BAD: Consider the values off(x) forx =xi, * ,xn.
GOOD: Considerf(xi), f(x
,f(Xn)X

Punctuate correctly.
PERIOD: Each sentence must close with a period. (Exception: sometimes a
colon is acceptable.) Even ifits last word is a symbolin a displayed formula,the
sentence must have a fullstop.
COMMA: The comma is the most misused punctuation mark; consult a
writer'smanual ifyou are not sure of the correctusage of the comma. Remem-
ber the comma between "if" and "then": If A, thenB.

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1971] MANUAL FOR MONTHLY AUTHORS 7

PARENTHESES: Sometimes the period or comma goes beforethe close, some-

times after; the grammatical sense governs.
QUOTATION MARKS: The period or comma usually goes inside, even though
that is frequentlyillogical. The MONTHLY will accept the logical placement in
complex mathematical arguments.
Some words are frequentlymisused. Here are the most common:

shall will all each every any

should would proved proven (obs.)

may can that which

If you are not absolutely sure of their differencesin formal writing,consult

your writer'sguide or dictionary.
Do not abbreviate" .1' " or "iff"for"ifand only if".Do not use "ifand
only if" in definitions;"if" is enough.
BAD: DEFINITION. A ringR is simple if and only if R has no properideals.
GOOD: DEFINITION. A ringR is simple ifR has no properideals.
Do not put part of the hypothesisin the conclusion.
BAD: THEOREM. Suppose His a subgroupof G. Then if [G: H] = 2, itfollows
thatH is a normalsubgroup.
GOOD: THEOREM. Suppose H is a subgroupof G and [G: H] = 2. Then H is a
normalsubgroup.
Avoid overuse of "that." Are the that's needed in "Suppose that H is a sub-
group of G and that [G: H] = 2"?
Avoid overworkedcliches,e.g., "Now," "We have," etc. (However, you may
need such words to separate symbols.)
Avoid miixingvoices and tenses, e.g., "Let X be compact; we shall define
H(X), and then K(X) can be defined."
Avoid the subjunctive, the future,and the futureconditional; theyare over-
used. Generally the present indicative and imperative moods produce clearer
and strongerwriting.
Avoid the passive voice; the active voice is moredirect.
BAD: A useful theoremwill be proved.
GOOD: We shall prove a useful theorem.
Avoid clutteredsymbols like

lfIl L2(X).

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8 HARLEY FLANDERS [January

Avoid second order subscripts if possible. But note that Akhis better than
Ask because the formerhas a descendingsub on an ascending letter,whereas the
latter looks like A jk.
Avoid superscriptsand subscripts on script letters; they cause typesetting
difficulties.

7. Good writing
Good writingrequires constant empathy with the potential reader, skill,
self-criticism,and above all, hard work. Afteryour paper is finishedand a draft
typed, then you must challenge every singleword,sentence,phrase, paragraph,
and section. Is the orderright?Why thischoice ofwords? Can excess verbiage be
trimmed?Can explanations and proofsbe made clearer?
When you are satisfiedthat your manuscriptis perfect,but beforeyou sub-
mit it, ask an experiencedcolleague to criticizeit. The result mightspare you
with the editor.
later difficulties
Write crisply;never be satisfiedwith your firstdraft.

FIRST DRAFT: The functionswhich were introducedby Hardy ....

IMPROVED: The functionsintroduced by Hardy ....

FIRST DRAFT: ... the largestvalue that is attainable.

IMPROVED: . . . the largest attainable value.

FIRST DRAFT: Thus (4) is obtained from a formula that is, in essence, a
special case of (2).
IMPROVED: Thus (4) is obtained froma special case of (2).

Be very carefulwith word orderand phrase order.While several ordersmay

be correctgrammatically,some are confusingand have ambiguous meanings.
Poor word and phrase orderis probably the most commonfaultin mathematical
writing.
BAD: ... an open familyof sets Xe }. {
GOOD: .. . a family { X, } of open sets.

BAD: .. . because of A, thereforeB since C.

GOOD: . . . since A and C, thereforeB.
GOOD: ... B followsfromA and C.

BAD: This problemifA is not compact cannot be solved.

GOOD: This problemcannot be solved unless A is compact.

BAD: It moves fromA to B satisfyingthe equation y" =f(x) in shortest

possible time.
GOOD: It moves from A to B in shortest possible time, while satisfying
the ....

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1971] MANUAL FOR MONTHLY AUTHORS 9

It is a good rule to put the most importantphrase at the beginningof the

sentence.
FAIR: As the followingcounterexampleshows, this conjecture is false.
GOOD: This conjecture is false, as the followingcounterexampleshows.
Try to visualize the printedpage. What symbolsand what spacing will make
a pleasant appearance? In addition to the standard roman type (no underline),
you can use
italic........ black underline

boldface........ wavy black underline

Greek........ red underline

German....... . green underline

script........ blue underline

boldface italic........ straightand wavy black underlines
Always type roman lettersand use the color code. Do not handwriteGerman or
scriptletters; this only confusesthe printer.
Make good use of scissors and glue, and the greatest writer'said since the
rubber eraser, typists' opaque correctionfluid (Snopake, Liquid Paper, etc.).
Use bracketsand large parenthesesto improvereadability.

BAD (g(X) ) GOOD ?[g(x) ]

BAD f (x) dx) g

g(x) dx) GOOD f(x) d) g(X) d:K

Define all terms the reader is likely to have forgottenor never known, for
example,semiring,primaryideal, orderof an integralfunction,w*-algebra,CW-
complex, double layer, Denjoy integral,asymptotic line, Hopf algebra, Lip ax.
A paper of fiveor more printedpages (12 or more triple-spacedmanuscript
pages) should be split into sections,each with a numberand heading. It is best
to numberthe theoremsseriallyin each section. Thus the firsttheoremin Sec-
tion 4 is Theorem 4.1. Check your numberingvery carefully;particularlyavoid
omissions. Consecutive numberingfromone end of a long paper to the other
is oftendisastrous, because a single slip invalidates all subsequent cross refer-
ences. Only importantformulasshould be numbered.The sectionsand theorems
in a short note require no numbering.It is silly to have Theorem 2.1 in a note
containingpreciselyone theorem!

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10 W. J. ELLISON [January
Choose a title foryour paper that is short (not an abstract of the paper) but
informative.Remember that each page of your article has a running head,
which,hopefully,is most of your title.
BAD: Remark on a Theorem of Hilbert
BAD: A generalizationof Hilbert's Norm Theorem to Abelian Extensions
of Skew Fields of CharacteristicZero
GOOD: Hilbert's Norm Theorem forSkew Fields.
Avoid mathematicalsymbolsin your title.
8. References
1. A manualforauthorsofmathematical papers,revisededition,Amer.Math.Soc., 1966.
2. Abbreviations ofthe namesofscientific Math. Reviews(reprints
periodicals, of the 1965
editionare soldbytheAmer.Math.Soc.).
3. WilliamStrunk,Jr.and E. B. White,The ElementsofStyle,MacmillanPaperbacks107,
1962,$.95.
4. A ManualofStyle,12thedition,Univ.ofChicagoPress,1969.
5. P. G. Perrin,Writer'sGuideand Indexto English,4thedition,ScottForesman,1965.
6. H. W. Fowler,ModernEnglishUsage,2ndeditioncorrected, OxfordUniv. Press,1968.
7. The preparationand typingof mathematicalmanuscripts, Bell TelephoneLabs, 1963.
(Availablefrom:MathematicalManuscripts,Bell TelephoneLabs, Inc., 463 West Street,New
York,N. Y. 10014.)
8. Mathematics inType,WilliamByrdPress,1954.
9. ArthurPhillips,SettingMathematics:A Guide to PrintersInterestedin the Art,John
Wrightand Sons,1956.
10. T. W. Chaundy,P. R. Barrett,and C. Batey,The Printing ofMathematics, OxfordUniv.
Press,1954.
11. Rita de ClercqZubli and CynthiaB. Wong,Guide to TechnicalTyping,D. H. Marks
Publishing Company,Braintree, Mass., 1969,$7.95.

WARING'S PROBLEM
W. J. ELLISON, University
of Michigan
1. Introduction.Edward Waring in his book MeditationesAlgebraicae(1770
edition,pages 203-204) makes the followingstatement: "Omnis integernumerus
vel est cubus; vel e duobus, tribus,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, vel novemcubus compositus:est
etiamquadratoquadratus;vele duobus,tribus&c. usque ad novemdecim compositus
&sic deinceps." In the 1782 edition, page 349, he adds guardedly " . . . con-
similia etiam affirmari possunt (exceptisexcipiendis) de eodemnumeroquantita-
tum earundemdimensionurn."
It has become traditional to interpretthese assertionsas: "Can every posi-
W. J. EllisontookhisB.A. at CambridgeUniversity
and is continuingworktherefora Ph.D.
underProf.J. W. S. Cassels.He spent1969-70at the University of MichiganwithD. J. Lewis.
Evidentlyhe is a promising
youngnumber theorist.
Editor.

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