Problem Sets

Overview

There will be 10 weekly problem sets. A new problem set will be released every Monday morning (starting in Week 1). You should solve it and submit a solution via Canvas by 11:00am on the following Monday. Deadlines are strict. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.

We only accept solutions in your own hand writing. Feel free to use digital pen (stylus) if it works for you. Submit your solution via electronic file upload on Canvas. If you use the traditional pen and paper ‘method’, you will need to scan your document (for example by using an appropriate smart phone app) and upload it on Canvas.

There will be no problem set in Week 5 (to allow time to study for the Week 6 midterm exam). The final problem set will be posted in Week 11.

Marking

Problem sets will be check-marked only. Marks are based mainly on completeness and overall correctness, not on presentation details or small algebraic slips.

The purpose is to keep you practicing the weekly material and to give you a clear signal about whether you’re broadly on track. If you would like individual feedback, we’re very happy to discuss your work after the weekly workshops or during consultation hours.

Rubric

Problem Set Marking Rubric

Mark

Criteria

1 mark

Complete and broadly correct.

  • You attempted all questions.

  • Your working shows a clear method and the solution is overall correct.

  • Any mistakes are minor (small arithmetic slips) and do not undermine the main reasoning.

1/2 mark

Substantial attempt, but with errors or gaps.

  • You submitted work for the set and made meaningful progress on most questions, but:

    • there are noticeable errors in reasoning, definitions, or key steps, and/or

    • some parts are incomplete or unclear, and/or

    • final answers look doubtful even if the approach is partly right.

  • Think of this as: “You engaged seriously, but there are issues to fix.”

0 marks

  • Not submitted, or

  • Too incomplete to assess (e.g., only a small fraction attempted), or

  • Mostly incorrect with little evidence of a viable method.

Best 8 out of 10

Only your best 8 problem sets will count toward your final course mark. This means you may submit fewer than 10 sets without penalty, since only the top 8 are used.

Across your best 8 submissions, the maximum total raw mark you can get is 8. To convert your total (out of 8) into a course percentage, we apply an inflation factor of 1.25.

  • Example A: total raw mark of 8 marks maps to 10 (because 8 x 1.25 = 10%)

  • Example B: total raw mark of 6 marks maps to 7.5 (because 6 x 1.25 = 7.5%)

Help and Feedback

We do not offer any help on solving assignments!

However: Substantive feedback—and an opportunity to ask questions—will be provided in that week’s workshop session. For example: Problem Set 1 is posted Monday of Week 1, due 11:00am Monday of Week 2, and then discussed in the Week 2 workshop (currently scheduled for Wednesdays).

Marking turnaround

We aim to return marks within a few days of the due date (ideally in the same week).