Terms of Service

Effective Date: July 2, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Locus, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our service.

These terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Locus. By creating an account or using the platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these terms.

2. Description of Service

Locus is a competitive mathematics learning platform that provides:

Interactive mathematics problems across various topics
ELO-based rating system for competitive learning
Leaderboards and progress tracking
Personalized problem recommendations
User accounts and profile management

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the service at any time without prior notice.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use Locus. By creating an account, you represent that you meet this age requirement and that all information you provide is accurate and complete.

3.2 Account Registration

To use certain features, you must create an account. You agree to:

Provide accurate and current information
Maintain the security of your password
Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access

3.3 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. Do not share your password with others or allow others to access your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any security breach.

3.4 Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time for violations of these terms, including but not limited to:

Cheating or unfair play
Creating multiple accounts
Harassment or abusive behavior
Violation of applicable laws

4. User Conduct

You agree to use Locus in a fair and respectful manner. Prohibited activities include:

4.1 Cheating and Unfair Practices

Using automated tools or bots to solve problems
Sharing or receiving answers to problems
Creating multiple accounts to manipulate ratings
Exploiting bugs or vulnerabilities for unfair advantage
Coordinating with others to artificially inflate ratings

4.2 Prohibited Behavior

Harassment, bullying, or threatening other users
Posting offensive, inappropriate, or illegal content
Attempting to gain unauthorized access to the platform
Reverse engineering or decompiling platform code
Interfering with the proper functioning of the service
Impersonating other users or Locus staff

5. Intellectual Property

5.1 Platform Ownership

The Locus platform, API, software, design, text, graphics, and logos are the proprietary property of Locus and are protected by copyright and intellectual property laws.

5.2 Problem Content

The mathematical problems and the scripts used to generate them are licensed under the MIT License. This means you are free to use, copy, modify, and distribute the problems and generation scripts, subject to the terms of the MIT License.

5.3 User Content

You retain ownership of your account data and problem-solving history. By using Locus, you grant us a limited license to use this data to provide and improve our service, including displaying your progress and rankings on leaderboards.

5.4 Usage Restrictions

You may not:

Copy, modify, or reverse engineer the platform or API code
Use the platform infrastructure for commercial purposes without authorization
Remove copyright notices or proprietary markings from the platform

6. ELO System and Rankings

6.1 How Ratings Work

Locus uses an ELO-based rating system to track your skill level. Your rating changes based on:

Successfully solving problems (rating increases)
Failing to solve problems (rating may decrease)
The difficulty of problems attempted

6.2 Fair Play Expectations

The integrity of the rating system depends on fair play. We expect all users to:

Solve problems independently without external assistance
Not manipulate the system through multiple accounts
Report bugs or rating issues promptly

6.3 Rating Adjustments

We reserve the right to:

Recalculate ratings if errors or cheating are detected
Reset ratings in cases of system changes or updates
Remove users from leaderboards for violations

7. Paid Subscriptions

Locus offers an optional paid subscription, Locus Insider, billed yearly. Payments are processed by Stripe; we never see or store your card details. Subscriptions renew automatically until canceled, and you can cancel at any time from Settings — cancellation stops the next renewal and keeps your access until the end of the paid period.

Full refund within 7 days of any payment, no questions asked, from Settings or by contacting us. A refund ends your subscription immediately.
Prices may change; renewals are charged at the price shown in Settings before renewal.
Subscriptions are not available on student accounts.
If we discontinue a paid feature, we will refund the unused portion of your subscription.
A paid subscription does not change the "as is" basis of the service (Section 8). We target 99.5% monthly uptime but do not guarantee availability, and no service credits are offered; your remedies for downtime are the refund and cancellation rights in this section.

8. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

7.1 Service Provided "As Is"

Locus is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We make no warranties, express or implied, regarding:

Accuracy or completeness of content
Uninterrupted or error-free service
Fitness for a particular purpose
Security of data transmission

7.2 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Locus shall not be liable for:

Any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
Loss of data, profits, or opportunity
Service interruptions or technical failures
Actions of other users on the platform

7.3 Educational Use

Locus is an educational tool designed to supplement your mathematics learning. We do not guarantee specific educational outcomes, test scores, or academic success. Your progress depends on your effort and dedication.

9. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Locus, its affiliates, and personnel from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from:

Your use of the service
Your violation of these terms
Your violation of any rights of another party
Your violation of applicable laws

10. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms of Service at any time. When we make significant changes, we will:

Update the effective date at the top of this page
Notify you via email or platform notification
Provide a reasonable notice period before changes take effect

Your continued use of Locus after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the modified terms. If you do not agree with the changes, you should discontinue use of the service.

11. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with applicable laws. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of Locus shall be resolved through:

Good faith negotiations between the parties
Mediation or arbitration if negotiations fail

12. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at:

Email: support@locusmath.org

13. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

14. Entire Agreement

These Terms of Service, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Locus regarding your use of the service and supersede any prior agreements.