HOMEWORK GUIDE

Here is some general advice about writing up homework assignments for university-level math classes.

• It is your job to explain your work clearly and completely.
  • Write legibly!
    Use dark ink, push firmly on that pencil, or better yet learn how to typeset mathematics and print it.
  • Show your work! Explain your reasoning if necessary.
  • Do not turn in scratch work; rewrite your solution if necessary.
  • Do not turn in work done on scratch paper. Rewrite it.
  • Do not use proof by erasure; to make changes, rewrite the entire line.
  • With the possible exception of figures, work down the page in a single column.
  • There should be no extra comments or calculations outside the main flow.
  • Use words! Complete sentences are nice, but not always necessary.
  • State the problem! Answers without questions are useless.
  • Make sure you answer the question!
  • Use appropriate units.
  Your goal should be to write up your homework so that you can still understand it a year from now, without resorting to any other pieces of paper (including the assignment).
• Useful information to include:
  • Your name...
  • If this is based on group work, the names of the other group members.
• Miscellaneous tips:
  • In calculus and beyond, angles are measured in radians, not degrees.
  • This is math class; approximate decimal answers are just that, approximate.