Math 217 Spring 2014 Course Page

Where and when? We meet Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:10 am -- 12 pm, in EH 1372.

Office hours
Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 2 -- 3 pm in EH 1847
Thursdays from 10 am -- 12 pm in EH 1847

Day one documents
Course policy and syllabus   Mathematical Hygiene   Joy of Sets   How to Write a Proof

Course description
This course is designed to give potential math majors, and those interested in the theory behind the mathematics, a rigorous introduction to linear algebra. The topics to be covered are: systems of linear equations; matrix algebra; vectors, vector spaces, and their subspaces; geometry of n-dimensional space; linear dependence, bases, and dimension; linear transformations; eigenvalues and eigenvectors; diagonalization; inner products. In addition to being a course in linear algebra, this is also a course in mathematical rigor and the methods of mathematical proof. Consequently, this course is a prerequisite for most higher level math courses. Students should leave this course prepared both to use linear algebra and to succeed in further theoretical courses in mathematics. This is a difficult course, and those interested only in the computational side of linear algebra should consider Math 214 or 417.

Textbook
The required text for this course is: Linear Algebra with Applications, 5th ed., by Otto Bretscher. All section numbers in the schedule below refer to this book. The Spring term moves very fast, and you will need to quickly get used to reading the relevant sections before they are covered in class.

Written Homework
Written homework will generally be due on Tuesdays and Fridays at the beginning of class. Homework assignments turned in after the deadline will not be accepted. Note the the lowest written homework score will be dropped from your course grade.

You are strongly encouraged to talk to your classmates about the homework assignments. However, each student must write her own solutions! Solutions should be written neatly using complete sentences (English or mathematical), and should clearly explain all reasoning at each step. Developing excellent written communication skills is one of the objectives of this course.

Homework assignments will be posted on the homework page of this website, at least 6 days before their due dates.

Web Homework.
In addition to the written homework assignments, there will be a web homework assignment each week. These assignments are due each Sunday at 11:59 p.m. A link to the web homework page is here.

Quizzes
There will be weekly quizzes on Wednesdays, beginning May 14. Quizzes will be short, in-class assignments to test comprehension of recent material. A quiz could involve a computation or exercise, a short proof, or both.

Links to quiz solutions are embedded in the daily schedule below.

Exams
We will have two exams: one midterm and one final exam. No calculators, note cards, books, or other outside materials are allowed on any exam.
The midterm exam will be Friday, May 30, 4-6pm, in EH 1360.

             Here are the midterm exams from the Winter 2014 semester: Winter 2014 Midterm 1   Winter 2014 Midterm 2

             Here are the solutions for those exams: Winter 2014 Midterm 1 solutions   Winter 2014 Midterm 2 solutions

             Here is the midterm exam from our class: Spring 2014 Midterm; and its solutions: Spring 2014 Midterm solutions

The final exam will be Tuesday, June 24, 4-6pm, in 1230 USB.

             Here is the final exam from the Winter 2014 semester: Winter 2014 Final Exam

             Here is the final exam from the Fall 2013 semester: Fall 2013 Final Exam; and its solutions: Fall 2013 Final Exam solutions

Course grade
The grading scale for the course will be at least as generous as the "standard" grading scale (90-100%=A, 80-90%=B, etc.), and will be determined from the following factors:

Daily Schedule

Please note: material indicated in the daily schedule is that which will tentatively be covered in class. This schedule will most likely change. I will try to update the online syllabus regularly.
Sunday Tuesday Wednesday Friday
  5/6
Sections 1.1-1.2 		5/7
Sections 1.2 		5/9
Sections 1.3-2.1
Written HW 1 due
Web HW 1 due before midnight 5/13
Sections 2.2-2.3
Written HW 2 due		 5/14
Section 2.3
Quiz 1		 5/16
Sections 2.4-3.1
Written HW 3 due
Web HW 2 due before midnight 5/20
Sections 3.1-3.2
Written HW 4 due		 5/21
Sections 3.2-3.3
Quiz 2		 5/23
Sections 3.3-3.4
Written HW 5 due
Web HW 3 due before midnight 5/27
Section 3.4
Written HW 6 due 		5/28
Sections 4.1-4.2
Quiz 3		 5/30
Sections 4.3-5.1
Midterm exam 4-6pm, EH 1360
Web HW 4 due before midnight 6/3
Sections 5.1-5.2
Written HW 7 due 		6/4
Sections 5.2-5.3
Quiz 4		 6/6
Sections 5.3-5.4
Written HW 8 due
Web HW 5 due before midnight 6/10
Sections 5.4-5.5
Written HW 9 due		 6/11
Sections 6.1-6.2
Quiz 5		 6/13
Sections 6.2-6.3
Written HW 10 due
Web HW 6 due before midnight 6/17
Sections 7.1-7.2
Written HW 11 due		 6/18
Sections 7.2-7.3
Quiz 6		 6/20
Sections 7.3-7.4
Written HW 12 due
Web HW 7 due before midnight 6/24
Final exam 4-6pm, 1230 USB 		   




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