If you were a linear algebra teacher, would you dock points for this?

[Eclair_de_XII]

Let's say you were proctoring some test that required proofs of Jordan canonical forms and rational canonical forms.

Would you dock points from a lazy student abbreviating the former as "J-canonical forms" and the latter as "$\mathbb{Q}$-canonical forms" in their proofs?

 

[Mark44]

Let's say you were proctoring some test that required proofs of Jordan canonical forms and rational canonical forms.

Would you dock points from a lazy student abbreviating the former as "J-canonical forms" and the latter as "$\mathbb{Q}$-canonical forms" in their proofs?

As someone who has taught linear algebra a number of times, no, I wouldn't take off points for those abbreviations. My focus would be more on the validity of the proofs.

 

[vela]

Not unless for some reason you had instructed them not to do that.

 

[pasmith]

Best not to give examiners an excuse to dock marks.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

Let's say you were proctoring some test that required proofs of Jordan canonical forms and rational canonical forms.

Would you dock points from a lazy student abbreviating the former as "J-canonical forms" and the latter as "$\mathbb{Q}$-canonical forms" in their proofs?

silly. But I learned my lesson quickly in an intro linear course. If it is the actual instructor giving the exam, then I use what ever short hand notation he uses in lecture. If it is not the instructor proctoring the exam, then I am very formal with notation used and no shorthand.

 

[mathwonk]

with all due respect, no. and i am at some difficulty not to insult the intelligence of any "instructor" who would do this. on the other hand, why would take the chance that your otherwise correct answer might be misunderstood? your job is to be easy to be understood. i wonder if you have told us the full story.