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Department of Mathematics


Gateway Questions

Now that you know how to navigate the system, you are ready to do the real work -- answering the questions!

Each exam has 10 questions:

(Each link above takes you to the question bank that the problems are drawn from!)

Once you know the answer to a question, enter it in the answer box provided. You do not need to simplify your answer at all -- if your answer is mathematically the same as the answer that MapleTA knows, the question will be marked right.

Here is a chart of how to enter all of the things you could possibly need to say to MapleTA. You should only use parentheses -- these: ( ) to group things. If you use [brackets] or , MapleTA might not understand, and your answer could be marked wrong.

After you've typed in your answer, click on the "Preview" link under the box. A little window will pop up with your answer the way MapleTA interprets it.

Did MapleTA understand what you meant to say? It will give you a warning if you do not have matched up pairs of parentheses. Then check to make sure that it has "translated" everything else you typed, too. All the exponents should be raised, all the division signs should have turned to fractions, and "Pi" should be a symbol now. If they are not, go back and check what you typed.

Sometimes when you use Preview, MapleTA shows extra parentheses that you did not type in. That's OK -- don't let it confuse you.

Once "Preview" shows what you think the answer should be, click on "Close" and move to the next question.

Math 104 Students: Some of your questions ask for the solutions to equations. If there is one answer, enter that number. If there is more than one answer, separate them by semicolons, like this: 2; -1; 7/ 2 for the three solutions 2, -1, and 7/2. The order does not matter. If there are no solutions, type in none (just like this -- all lowercase).

Math 122/142 Students: Some of the integrals you will be doing are indefinite (they don't have limits of integration), and so you will need to be able to enter a constant of integration. The one that MapleTA recognizes is a capital C. While it is true that mathematically you can use any letter at all, if you want MapleTA to understand you (so that your answers are correct), you must use a capital +C. For any integrals that evaluate to plus or minus infinity, enter +infinity or -infinity. Answers like "undefined" or "divergent" will be marked wrong.

If you are running into problems, check out the tips and tricks page before you get frustrated.

Still need help? Contact the Gateway Team at gateway-help@math.ku.edu with your problem or question.