MAT 211, Spring 2000
INTRODUCTION TO LINEAR ALGEBRA
Section 2, MW 7:00-8:20, Physics P-113



General information:

Lecturer: Marco Lenci. Office: Math, 5D-148. Tel.: xxx-xxxx. E-mail: xxxx@math.sunysb.edu. Office hours: T 5:00-6:00 and by appointment (on Th 2:30-3:30 I have office hours for another class: you are welcome to show up. Only, the other students will have priority).

Grader: Zhendong Wan. Office: Math, 4-113. E-mail: xxxx@math.sunysb.edu. Office hours: Th 3:00-4:15.

Textbook: Otto Bretscher, Linear Algebra with Applications, Prentice Hall, 1997.

Course Outline: The material we will cover corresponds, with some degree of approximation, to the following topics and sections of the textboox:

   Systems of linear equations and Gauss-Jordan elimination, Sec. 1.1-1.3
   Linear transformations and matrices, Sec. 2.1-2.4
   Subspaces, linear indepencence, dimension, Sec. 3.1-3.3
   Orthogonality, Sec. 4.1-4.3
   Determinants, Sec. 5.1-5.3
   Eigenvalues, eigenvectors, applications to dynamical systems, Sec. 6.2-6.4, 6.1, 6.5
   Coordinate systems, diagonalization, quadratic forms, Sec. 7.2-7.4
   Abstract vector spaces, Sec. 9.1-9.2

We may decide to skip a few sections, and will not necessarily cover everything in a given section. The expectation is that we should average about two sections per week. If you miss some lectures, the web page (see below) will help you keep up with the course.

Assignments: A few homework problems will be assigned from the textbook every Wednesday. They will be due on the following Wednesday. Only some of these problems will be graded, but you will not be told which ones, so everything must be turned in.
In addition, there will be a quiz (almost) every Wednesday, at the end of class.
Concerns about homework and quiz grades should be taken up with the grader. Before doing that, though, remember that there's no reason for him to be unfair to you (he doesn't even know you): if you feel the grading is a little tight, that is so for everybody and will be accounted for in the end.

Exams: There will be two midterm exams and a final exam. This is a tentative schedule:

   Midterm 1: Feb 23, in class.
   Midterm 2: Apr 12, in class.
   Final: May 10, 7-10pm, location to be determined.

Late homework and make-ups: The general policy is that late homework is not accepted and make-up quizzes and exams are not allowed. We can admit exceptions to this policy, but only in very special circumstances. Especially for the exams, the impossibility to show up should be notified (and documented) as soon as possible.
At any rate, the ultimate decision on these matters is up to the grader, for what concerns homework and quizzes, and to the lecturer, regarding the exams.

Final grade: Your final grade will be computed as follows:

   25%   Homework + quizzes
   20%   Midterm 1
   20%   Midterm 2
   35%   Final

Help: You are always welcome to come to our office hours. Should you feel you need extra help, a good advice is to go to the Math Learning Center, Physics A-125/127.

Special needs: If you have a physical, psychiatric, medical or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, I would urge you to contact the staff in the Disabled Student Service office (DSS), Humanities, room 133, tel. xxx-xxxx/TDD. The DSS will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accomodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of disability is confidential.


Communications to the class:

Have a good career and life, folks!


Assigned homework:

Previous:

Sec. Problems
1.2 2, 6, 18, 24, 30
1.3 2, 4, 6, 10, 18, 22, 34, 46
2.1 4, 6, 32, 38, 40
2.2 6, 8, 10, 28, 30, 32, 38
2.3 4, 6, 14, 20, 32, 34, 42
2.4 6, 12, 16, 20, 28, 40, 44
3.1 2, 10, 18, 20, 30
3.2 4, 8, 10, 14, 30, 36
3.3 2, 4, 12, 28, 38
4.1 6, 10, 16, 28
4.2 2, 6, 10, 32, 34
4.3 2, 6, 12, 16, 20
5.1 6, 12, 24, 26, 34, 40
6.2 2, 6, 10, 18, 20, 32
6.3 2, 8, 18, 22


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Last updated: May 15, 2000   (adapted to ML's Stevens website: Oct 27, 2004)