The purpose of this course is to transition you from calculation-focused mathematics to conceptual, proof-based mathematics. Most of this transition will occur as you grapple with the homework, so the homework is the most important component of this course. You will be required to rigorously prove and clearly write solutions rather than simply calculate the correct answer. The homework will provide a place for you to practice the fundamental skills necessary to succeed in the rest of the mathematics major and beyond. Fair warning: it only gets harder from here. Struggling with difficult problem sets is an essential part of learning to do advanced mathematics. Consequently, some questions are much more difficult than others.

Homework will be posted weekly on Canvas. See the calendar for due dates. Homeworks 1-9 will be turned in on GradeScope; see the homework assignments themselves for further directions. Homework 10 will not be turned in. A homework demonstration will be given in lecture early in the quarter before the first assignment is due.

Late homework will not be accepted for any reason. You may miss up to 10% of the overall homework points without penalty to your grade. [Specifically, your homework percentage will be MIN((raw/total)*10/9, 1).] Since this is largely a course on proof writing, you will partly be graded on style. You must use complete English sentences, standard notation, legible writing, etc. Certain parts of homework will be marked "bonus". You should think of these as opportunities to make up for lost points on other homework assignments.

Partial homework solutions will be provided on Piazza. Missing portions will be clearly marked. To give you another opportunity to practice your proof-writing skills and give you another opportunity to get focused feedback on your mathematical writing, you will be required to take responsibility for filling in one missing solution during the quarter. Further directions will be given early in the quarter.

You are encouraged to work together on homework. However, you must write up your solutions separately. You are also strongly encouraged to type up your homework in LaTeX---this is an invaluable skill used daily by every working mathematician, and it's never too early to start learning. To encourage this, .tex source code for each homework will be provided. You are welcome to ask typesetting questions on Piazza, during lecture or discussion sections, and during office hours.

• Midterm 1: Wednesday January 29, in lecture
• Midterm 2: Monday February 24, in lecture
• Final: Wednesday March 18, 8:00-10:59a.m. (comprehensive; emphasis on material not on the midterms)


• No make up exams will be given. It is your responsibility to ensure that you do not have scheduling conflicts involving the exams.
• If you perform better on the final exam than on one of the midterms, your final exam score will take the place of the lower midterm score.
• You must bring your student ID card and pencils/erasers (or pens).
• You may bring one 8.5”×11” page (front and back) of handwritten notes. Nothing else is allowed (e.g. no calculators, books, etc.).

I write relatively difficult exams with typical medians of 50-75%. Many of you will be used to fixed grade scales where 60% is a failing grade, so this may come as a shock. In our class, your absolute percentage on exams is virtually meaningless because your final grades will be curved in such a way that the class's final score distribution conforms closely to historical score distributions for Math 109. To give you a sense for how you're performing in the class, after each exam I will post summary statistics on Piazza. Since the course is curved in this way, you would not get a better final grade even if the exams were easier.

It would actually be easier for me to write easier exams, so why do I insist on harder ones? There are several reasons.

• Easy exams give poor statistical distributions. If you plot the histogram of an exam with a 90% average, you'll see a "cliff" at the top end where the distribution is cut off, preventing the exam from distinguishing between top-performers.
• Easy exams often test basic mechanical ability (e.g. the questions are all minor variations on homework) without also testing understanding. I care deeply that you learn both. This may be a new experience for some of you.
• Math 109 is taken by many students, and it is important for grades in such a course to be consistent between instructors and over time. Hard exams make it much easier for me to make reasonable curves which conform to these norms.

The components of the course will be weighted as follows:

• Homework (30%)
• Piazza Homework Solution (3%)
• Midterm 1 (19%)
• Midterm 2 (19%)
• Final (29%)

The course will be curved. See exam philosophy for further information.

You must pass the final examination in order to pass the course.

We will use Piazza for class announcements and discussions.

Post on Piazza whenever you're confused about homework, the lecture, the textbook, course logistics, or anything relevant to the course. Do not let yourself be silenced by the fear of looking stupid. Your classmates, the TA's, and I will answer. You have the option of posting anonymously to classmates, though I encourage you to post as yourself to foster a sense of community with your classmates.

You are strongly encouraged to post messages on Piazza instead of emailing me or the TA's directly. Private posts can be made if needed.