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Cheating

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is copying another person's writings or ideas and presenting them as your own. It covers copying from the internet, from books or other published sources, and from friends or other students. Though some examples of plagiarism are very obvious, there are circumstances - for example where students are encouraged to work together but to write up their results separately - where you may need to seek advice about what is and what is not allowed. If you are uncertain, ask. For certain pieces of assessed work you will be asked to sign a declaration that the work is your own, or will be asked to list the people with whom you have worked (if this is allowed).

Other forms of cheating

Cheating also covers more obvious offences such as copying in tests, stealing work from other students (either electronically or in another way), or taking your mobile phone into an examination. Note that you are guilty of cheating if you assist another student to cheat (for example by allowing them to copy your work).

For more advice see the University's page on Academic Integrity.

Both cheating and plagiarism are taken very seriously by the Department. The University rules governing how cases are dealt with are in Regulation 11 of the University Calendar.

Penalties

The department has decided that every suspected case of cheating or plagiarism will be dealt with strictly according to the regulations, and will be referred to a designated person in the department who will keep records of each case. It is not possible to negotiate with individual lecturers.

The following consequences are non-negotiable:

1) Where a penalty is appropriate this will be exacted according the rules in the University Calendar section 11. In particular, where the department means to deal with the case itself:

• there will be a formal letter to the student signed by the Head of Department;
• the student will be asked to formally accept the penalty or to launch a formal appeal;
• the student's department and the appropriate Board of Examiners will be formally informed of any penalty imposed;
• copies of all such formal letters will be kept in a file in Maths until the student concerned has graduated - they will be destroyed on graduation if there have been no further similar instances.

2) For the purpose of the regulations the department deems that the wording "the piece of work concerned" in the Regulations means:

• the whole of the assessed component of a module for which the majority of the credit comes from an examination (so cheating on a single homework assignment or class test may mean that the department sets to zero the marks on the whole assessed component of a module).
• all the work submitted for a single deadline for those modules which are more completely assessed (so that, for example, cheating on any part of an assessment may mean that the department sets to zero the marks on the whole of that assessment, even if it is broken into several parts.)

You should note that aggravated cases, including second or subsequent cases, will be dealt with by the University, and the penalties in these cases can be much more severe.

Our AI Policy for Taught Courses

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that can support your study and understanding of mathematics. The department therefore supports the appropriate use of AI in your studies.

Because the Mathematics Department primarily relies on examinations to assess your understanding of the material you have studied, you are free to take advantage of AI tools to support your learning. For example, AI may help you summarise complex topics, explain unfamiliar concepts, or test your understanding when preparing for examinations.

However, AI tools must be used carefully. They can mask gaps in understanding, reinforce misconceptions, and give a false impression of mastery. This may leave you poorly prepared for examinations, where you must answer questions independently without access to AI. Moreover, AI tools may generate incorrect mathematics, fabricated references, or unreliable computer code.

The following principles govern the use of AI in coursework and other assessments not undertaken in controlled conditions:

• Submitting AI-generated material as if it were your own work constitutes academic misconduct.
• Students remain responsible for the correctness and understanding of submitted work, regardless of whether AI tools were used.
• The inability to explain submitted work may be treated as evidence of academic misconduct.

In addition:

• Check the rules. Module-specific rules may differ regarding the permitted use of AI in assessments. You must read and follow the rules for each module and assessment.
• Keep a record and declare use of AI where required. Modules with substantial assessed components will normally require a declaration describing the use of AI in completing the assessment. Specific declaration requirements may be provided as part of the assessment brief.

See also the general University policy on the use of AI here.

The addresses the challenges posed by the use of artificial intelligence within mathematics research.

In addition, when it comes to AI and deciding if you want to use it, it is worth being aware of the following:

• The environmental impact of using AI is huge - in 2024, found that having ChatGPT generate one 100-word email used around 500ml of water, and enough electricity to power 14 light bulbs for an hour.
• AI data centres also continue to use large amounts of energy - something that will only continue to grow, in 2025.
• A found that using Generative AI inhibits your critical thinking and problem solving skills. This was backed up with similar findings in a looking at the use of AI to help write essays.