Karl's Calculus Tutor

Email Policies

I try to answer all math emails, but that is not always possible. Sometimes I am busy, out of town, or the volume becomes overwhelming. But most of the time you will get a reply. I cannot guarantee that replies will be within 24 hours for the same reasons cited above. So if you are in panic mode the night before an exam, I'm sorry to say that it's too late for me to get you out of your jam.

It is important that, if the email you send me contains math notation, I be able to read and understand it. This is not a trivial matter since it is not possible to type many of the symbols commonly used in mathematics notation. You are urged to visit and read carefully at

to learn more about how to send understandable math notation over email.

Please do not send attachments. Because of the danger of computer viruses, any attachment you send is not likely to be opened. Rather than scanning a handwritten problem and sending it to me, please try to cipher it into plain-text on your keyboard.

Make sure I can find your email address if you expect a reply. Also make sure that the date is set properly on your computer. My email reader sorts emails by date, and if your correspondence is dated 1969, I won't find it in the pile.

If you send me a homework problem that has you stumped, it would be unethical for me to do it for you. I especially WILL NOT TAKE YOUR EXAM for you, whether it is a take-home or otherwise, so please don't ask me to do that. On homework problems, you can expect that I will give you pointers and tips, or even an outline of the solution. I make a sincere effort to judge each correspondent's level of understanding from the tone of his or her question and my responses are aimed at pointing the student toward the solution but still making that student stretch to reach the goal. That might not always be what the student wants, but it is what he or she needs.

If you send me an email with a long laundry list of problems, you might find that I only respond to the first one or two. Sorry, but that is what is best for both you and me in the long run. My time is limited, and the problems are meant for you to do, not me.

Please keep your questions specific. If you ask me to explain a general topic, I will likely point you to one of the pages of the online material. The online material is indeed where I have put my best efforts at explaining the broad topics. It is better for you to explore the Karl's Calculus Tutor web pages in search of the explanation you seek before you go asking me about it by email. You'll save both of us a lot of time that way.

There are dozens of worked problems in the online material. Many of them are or are similar to problems that I have seen many times in emails. Again you save both of us time when you find a worked problem that answers your question.

I will also answer questions on high school level algebra, trigonometry, and statistics, as well as advanced topics like differential equations, topology, real analysis, complex variables, linear algebra, abstract algebra, etc. But if you are taking graduate level math courses, there is a good chance that my understanding of the topic in question might not be any better than yours. I also will answer first-year physics questions.

PRIVACY

Your confidence is important to me. I will not reveal the email address or the contents of any correspondence made to Karl's Calculus Tutor without the correspondent's permission unless I am ordered to do so by a court of law. It is possible, however, that I might use a problem that you ask about in one of the web pages.

You can email me by clicking this button