S.O.S. Mathematics CyberBoard

If someone posts their homework questions on this site, are we allowed to answer their homework questions in full – in short, do their homework for them – as opposed to just giving them helpful hints to guide them in their work?

As far as I'm aware, doing someone else's homework for them is frowned upon in most math forums I've been to. I would like to know if this forum follows the same principle, or whether it doesn't mind if we answer posters' homework questions in full.

Really? Because this was never an issue at any math forum I've visited. I've responded both with complete solutions and occasional hints and no one has ever told me that I was doing anything wrong.

But to answer your question, I will direct you to read through some of the threads in one of the subforums, say Calculus. The responses are varied. Many times people will outline the entire solution and other times the only responses are hints. In my 5+ years here, I have never seen anyone discourage a particular tutoring style.

(On a sidenote, I think you are oversimplifying when you use the phrase "doing someone else's homework for them." No tutor would simply do a student's assignment for them. It's just that sometimes a tutor might feel that the best way to teach is to hold hands with the student and give them a complete walkthrough. The tutor is trying to teach, and in the process the complete solution spills out.)

See an earlier thread at http://www.sosmath.com/CBB/viewtopic.php?t=31787.

This is what I wrote then:

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The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. - Michelangelo Buonarroti

Thanks for your reply, Helmut.

Soroban always does that, often going pretty detailed to the solution, thats just his method. He often has very clever and unexpected ways to do it, if you choose not to give the solution then there is nothing wrong with that, but you can't prevent another user from giving the full solution in the end... you should do whatever you think is right to help that person regardless of what other tutors do. Often a good tip will allow the asker to solve the problem on his own, and then Soroban or other will come do the problem his way, and they can learn another way to do it, or have confidence in themselves for doing it properly ^^

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Thank you, Ilaggoodly.

It’s nice when people like you and Helmut can give a civil reply to an innocuous question, and not being as sarcastic as Matt.

That said, you can usually spot the ones who simply want the answers and then bugger off. I for one don't give any solutions to these people, just friendly hints/advice.