Math 441 - Homework policies

General description of homework

The homework is at the core of the course: in homework you apply what you learn from class and the text, and prepare for the exams. Most people probably will find it useful to discuss problems with other students, me, and/or the TA while preparing the homework. Study groups are a great idea! Discussing the problems and ideas for solving them will improve your understanding of what the questions ask and what is required to answer them. Use this resource (and all resources!) intelligently: think seriously about the problems before talking about them with others, and write up the solutions by yourself in your own words after discussion. I recommend that you do not look at anyone's complete written solution before turning in the homework. We should not see evidence in the homework that you are going beyond discussing the problems to studying someone else's complete solutions.

If someone else gives you a key idea for solving a problem, you should give credit for this. I know this is not standard practice in math and science courses, but it probably should be, just as in an English or Political Science paper you would cite your sources. Comments such as "I got the idea for this proof from A", or "I worked with B to develope the outline of this proof" are encouraged, and will never be counted against you.

Also give specific references (page and label, e.g., "Cor. 7.3 p. 48," or the name of the theorem) for results you use from the book. If you use a result from a previous course, state clearly what you are using. If, in fact, you had to look it up somewhere, you should let your reader (that is, the grader) know where you looked it up - if only as a matter of courtesy!

Here are some more comments about writing solutions to mathematics problems.

• Clearly label each problem. ("#2" is ambiguous; state the section of the book or the page, or both.) Start each problem on a new page, or at least leave several blank lines after each problem. Clearly label each problem. staple them in order, write neatly, and leave one-inch margins on all four edges of the page. Be sure your name, the assignment number or due date, and the course name or number is on the first page in the upper right corner.
• In every problem, you are expected to justify your conclusions, whether the problem says "Justify" or not. (Exception: Very rarely, the directions may say explicitly you need not justify.)
• Write an explanation that another student in the class would be able to follow even if they hadn't thought about the problem. Another way to say the same thing is, write up your solution as if it were an example or a proof to be added to the book.
• Use English, and use it correctly. Pay attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, and using complete sentences as much as possible. Put a period at the end of a sentence (even if it ends with a displayed equation).
• Avoid abuse of symbols. In particular beware of run-on sentences from overuse of the symbols for "if and only if" and "implies".
• Jack Lee has posted "Some Remarks on Writing Mathematical Proofs" which I encourage you to read. This six-page guide describes a writing standard suitable for publication. It would be wonderful if your homework papers could achieve this level of writing. I believe that in homework papers, abbreviations and symbols may be used a bit more freely than Jack's "Remarks" recommend, but that he describes very well the goal to aim for. I also do not have a preference about whether you include a verbatim statement of the problem in your homework, or state the result you will be proving as a theorem or sequence of propositions.
• If you are considering typing some or all of your homework - and please note, this is NOT required - you may find Jack Lee's recommendations for Mathematical Typesetting Resources useful.

Homework assignments will have three parts: (I) reading, (II) problems you are required to understand but do not have to turn in, and (III) problems to write up and turn in.

• I. Reading from the book will cover material needed for homework problems, or that will be discussed in class before or on the due date. Ideally, you should read over the material once before we get to it in class, then again more thoroughly after class discussion.
• II. R problems, which you are Required to do but not to turn in. You are Responsible for knowing the material covered in R problems. Some of them may good for "Revving up" to do related problems to be turned in. Some may appear later on tests.
• III. HI problems, for which you should write up and Hand In solutions, following the guidelines above.

Homework grading

The TA will grade the homework, but I will look it over, also.

Selected problems will be graded in detail, usually on a scale of 0 to 10 points (though this may vary depending on the length and degree of difficulty), with partial credit for incomplete solutions. Correct logic and clear exposition will count. The rest of the problems will be graded on a scale of 0 to 2 points: 2 points if there are no blatant mistakes, 1 point for a reasonable attempt that has an obvious gap or error, and 0 points if there is no reasonable attempt. In computing your final grade, the raw homework score for each assignment will be converted to a percentage, your lowest score will be dropped, and the remaining scores will be averaged.

Late homework policy

Homework should be turned in at class on the due date, or to the TA's mailbox in PDL C120 by 4 PM that day. (In C120, the TA mailboxes are on the right, and the faculty mailboxes are on the opposite wall. Names are under the boxes.)

Turn in all homework that you have done by the time it is due. Credit for work turned in later may be reduced, at the option of the instructors. If you put homework in the TA's mailbox after 4 on the due date, send an email to the TA, cc to JMA, saying when you put it in the box and (briefly) why it was late.

Exceptions to the credit reductions for late papers sometimes may be arranged by discussing your situation with me (JMA) in advance of the class when the homework is due. In the event of severe hardship (such as serious illness or injury), please talk to me as soon as possible about what adjustments we need to make.

Homework assignments
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Most recently updated on September 30, 2014