Homework is an essential part of learning. The assigned weekly homework
is specially designed to reinforce the learning goals of each
lecture as well as to explore further examples and consequences of
the results and ideas discussed in class. Please do
not be discouraged if you do not immediately know how to solve a
problem: everyone has to work hard
learning new mathematical ideas and applications. When encountering a difficult question,
think about how it connects to topics, definitions, and/or results that have been
discussed in class and on the worksheets.
If you have worked on a problem for a while and remain
stuck, please ask for hints from your instructor or
TA in office hours. You may also discuss problems with classmates, but must always
write up solutions on your own (this helps to reinforce your own understanding of
the solution). In particular, if you have taken notes
when discussing homework problems with friends or course staff, you should
put these notes away when writing your solution to be sure it is in your own words.
The Honor Code applies to this and all other written aspects of the course.
Watching someone else entirely solve a problem will not help you to learn the material or be
prepared for exams, much as watching someone else bake a cake does not teach you how to bake.
Avoid the trap of relying on
others to get through homework assignments, since it is precisely by grappling with the homework
that you reinforce your understanding and identify the concepts or skills on which you should seek
an improved understanding.
Students are expected to take care in writing their assignments. For instance,
- assignments should be written neatly;
- assignments should contain clear, complete solutions (but they do not need to repeat the question statements).
- A short guide on writing mathematics well.
Partial progress toward solutions on problems will be awarded partial credit, but simply writing answers down without
explanation or justification will receive zero credit.
Mathematics is a cumulative subject, with many concepts building on prior ones. Homework assignments reinforce concepts and prepare students for upcoming material. Solution sets are posted shortly after submission deadlines so that students can promptly see where they had misconceptions and alternative approaches. Release of such solutions also supports exam preparation. Extensions of additional time on homework assignments beyond the release of solution sets are not granted because this would fundamentally alter the course and its cumulative nature.
It is always recommended that students submit partially-completed assignments even if they are not able to finish the full assignment by the deadline.
Logistics for Weekly Homework:
The weekly homework submission is handled electronically via the Gradescope
platform.
Gradescope accepts only electronic submissions, so you'll need to scan
your homework before uploading it. Make sure to allot plenty of time to follow the submission instructions below before each deadline.
Assignments will be posted no later than a week before they are due, and it is strongly recommended that you begin assignments promptly. Any change to a posted assignment will be announced in class and via email.
The due
date is always Wednesday morning at 9AM, and no late homework will be accepted under any circumstances. (This is
as much a courtesy to the grader as an incentive to stay current with the course and not fall behind.)
To accommodate situations such as a serious illness or anything else that may arise
(even if it is an obstruction known in advance due to your schedule), your homework score will be multiplied by 1.25 (not to exceed 100%) at the
end of the quarter; please do not rely on this scaling factor early in the term.
Students are encouraged to examine their graded homework assignments promptly.
Usually only a portion of each week's assigned problems will be graded (and
the selection of problems chosen to be graded will not be announced in advance); as a result, be sure to look over the posted
solutions to check over your solutions to the ungraded problems when your graded assignment is returned.
It is ultimately your responsibility to look over your graded
assignment while consulting the posted solutions, not only to check your understanding but also to find any grading errors.
If you find an error in
how an assignment was graded or recorded, please appeal to your TA section leader (who has final authority on all homework
appeals). After a week has passed since a graded assignment has been released in Gradescope, your score for that assignment
will be entered into the Canvas gradebook, after which point it can no longer be changed.
Readability policy (untagged problems, oversize PDFs): Again out of respect for the graders' limited time to examine your submissions, untagged homework problems on Gradescope will not be graded by the graders; nor will problems on submissions consisting of an oversized single-page PDF. Once you submit a regrade request due to a problem tagged incorrectly or not found on a single-page submission, there will be a 50% penalty for that problem. This policy is in effect starting with Homework #2.
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