# How to write an abstract for a math paper? [closed]

How would you go about writing an abstract for a Math paper? I know that an abstract is supposed to "advertise" the paper. However, I do not really know how to get started. Could someone tell me how they go about writing an abstract?

1. Avoid notation if possible. Notation makes it really hard to search electronically.

2. Put the subject in context, e.g., "In a recent paper, T. Lehrer introduced the concept of left-bifurcled rectangles. He conjectured no such rectangles exist when the number of bifurcles $n$ is odd."

3. State your results, in non-technical language, if possible. "In this paper we show the existence of left-bifurcled rectangles for all prime $n$."

4. Mention a technique, if there is a new one: "Our methods involve analytic and algebraic topology of locally euclidean metrizations of infinitely differentiable Riemannian manifolds".

5. Never, ever, ever, cite papers in the bibliography by giving citation numbers; the abstract is an independent entity that should stand on its own.

• Bozhe moi! (and yes, this is a good answer) – Todd Trimble Jun 28 '15 at 23:51
• @ToddTrimble I saw what you did there! – David Roberts Jun 29 '15 at 4:09
• @DavidRoberts You didn't see me plagiarize! – Todd Trimble Jun 29 '15 at 4:29

One thing that I have been taught to do in the body of a paper, but which may also make sense in an abstract is to state an easily-understood interest-piquing corollary of the main result "As a special case of our results, we demonstrate the existence of infinitely many integer solutions to the equation $x^3-y^2=17xy$".