Homework Info

All homework assignments for this course, as well as the exams, will be generated via Quest from a data bank of questions developed specifically for the course. These questions are based for the most part on ones in the text adopted for the course. Each question in the bank is really an algorithm that produces many different versions of the same question, hence is ideally adapted to producing individualized homework assignments and exams.

At the heart of Quest is a very sophisticated, computer program that takes the data bank and generates homework assignments which you download from the web, work on, and then return your answers again using the web. Answers can be returned one at a time or several at a time. These answers are checked by the computer, and you are then notified immediately of the correctness (or incorrectness!) of your answer. Multiple attempts at answering a given question are allowed, though there is a penalty for incorrect answers; a correct answer submitted at a later attempt scores less than one that is correct at the first attempt. After the due date of an assignment, you can download from the web complete worked solutions to your particular version for study in preparation for later parts of the course and for exams. The computer also keeps track of your scores on the various assignments and exams so that you know what your performance is at any stage during the course.

Since the numerical values in the questions in your homework assignment will be different from those in the same assignment for other students, you can work jointly with other students in understanding and solving homework problems. Some homework questions have several parts that lead you through a particular way – frequently the best, but not the only, way - of solving a specific problem.

GETTING STARTED: See information about Quest.

DOWNLOAD AND SUBMIT HOMEWORK:  Most questions have 5 or more possible answers, but there are some numerical questions requiring a numerical answer. To be scored as correct, a numerical answer must be within 1% of the computer’s answer. Numerical answers must be in decimal form.

You will be told immediately whether your answer is correct or not. If your answer is wrong, additional tries are allowed as indicated.

It is your responsibility to submit your homework before the due date. No late homework is accepted.  The web may be slow at times, especially when thousands of students are submitting their HW at the last minute. It advisable to submit answers as you work the problems throughout the week. Waiting until the last minute or hour may result in an inability to submit answers.

RANDOMIZATION: in each question on a homework (or exam) every student is assigned the same generic question as you, but for other students the specific numerical values in that question need not be the same as yours.

DYSFUNCTIONAL PROBLEMS:while every attempt has been made to eliminate mathematical errors, typos, and ambiguities from questions, such errors will inevitably be found. If you think a problem is dysfunctional, please send E-mail to gilbert@math.utexas.edu. Suggestions for improvements to the system in general, or to specific questions, dysfunctional or not, will be appreciated.