A web-based mathematical question crowd-sourcing platform

Abstract

To improve the mathematical capabilities of the university students, several math document retrieval systems are in place to allow users to search for math questions. Some of them are even able to generate practice papers for users to practice. However, due to the lack of new question input, the ques- tion database of these systems would soon become isolated and outdated. The number of active users also drops after some time of operation, lead- ing the system to be underutilized. This project aims to transform one of such systems that was developed by a previous student to a crowd-sourcing platform. The new platform has redesigned use cases that make the system operation sustainable. With the new functions, users are encouraged to up- load new content to the system. The simplified user interface and logic flow make the system more usable. At the same time, a portal is also implemented for the system maintainers to import mathematical documents in batches. As a result, the system is able to accumulate math documents over time. This report documents the analysis of the problem, the detailed explanation of the system and database design, as well as the actual implementation of the new features.