Much of what one learns in this course comes from trying to solve the homework problems, so work hard on them. Doing a conscientious job on the homeworks is the best preparation for the exams. We hope that you will ultimate solve the majority of the problems, but don't be surprised if some of them stump you; some of the problems may be quite challenging.
Your solutions should be terse, correct, and legible. Understandability of the solution is as necessary as correctness. Expect to lose points if you provide a "correct" solution with a not-so-good writeup. As with an English paper, you can't expect to turn in a first draft: it takes refinement to describe something well. See the sample writeup (under problem sets on the main page). Typeset solutions are always appreciated.
If you can't solve a problem, briefly indicate what you've tried and where the difficulty lies. Don't try to pull one over on us.