The goal of homework is to give you practice in mastering the course
materials. You are encouraged to collaborate on problem sets. Students who
form study groups generally do better than students who work
alone. If you do work in a study group, however, you owe it to yourself
and your group to be prepared for your study group meetings. Specifically
you should spend at least 30 minutes trying to solve each problem
beforehand. If your group is unable to solve a problem, talk to other
groups, or ask your instructors and TAs.
You must write up each problem solution independently
without assistance, however, even if you collaborate with others to
solve the problem. You must identify your collaborators on problem
sets that you hand in. If you have not worked with anyone, write "Collaborators: None". If
you obtain a solution through research (e.g., from a published paper, a book, or the web), acknowledge your source and write up the
solution in your own words.
No collaboration whatsoever is permitted on exams. This includes
quizzes, midterms, and finals.
Plagiarism and other anti-intellectual behavior cannot be tolerated in any
academic environment that prides itself in individual accomplishment. The
penalty for offences ranges from zero for the work involved to
disciplinary actions by the university. If you have any questions about
the collaboration policy, or if you feel that you may have violated the
policy, please talk to your instructors. Although we are obligated to
address all offences according to university
policies, we can be more understanding and lenient if we find out from the
transgressor himself or herself rather than from a third party.
