MA235A –Linear Algebra (Spring 2008)
General Information:
Instructor: Dr. Laura McSweeney (lmcsweeney [at] mail.fairfield.edu)
Meeting Times: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 8-9am in BNW Gr-22 (Ground floor)
Text: Linear Algebra (3ed) by Fraleigh and Beauregard
Office Hours: Monday, Wed, Thursday, 11 - noon, Wed. 5:00 – 6:00pm
and by appointment in Bannow 111. (203)254 – 4000 x2194
Course website: http://faculty.fairfield.edu/lmcsweeney/ma235.htm
You will need a TI-83 calculator. Please bring your calculator to class each day. I will let you know when you need to bring your text to class.
Note: Tues., Feb 19th follows a Monday schedule and thus our class will meet on that day.
Course Schedule and Assignments
Review Sheet (Section 1.5 and 1.6) Solutions
Exam 2 Review Sheet Solutions
Course Description: This course will discuss the applications, techniques and theory of linear algebra. We will cover important concepts like linear spaces and subspaces; linear independence and dependence; bases and dimension; linear operators; matrix theory; determinants, solving systems of linear equations; and finding eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
In this course, it is expected that students will learn vector and matrix algebra, learn how to solve systems of linear equations using a variety of techniques, know how to apply linear transformations, and find eigenvalues/eigenvectors and determinants. Students should understand and be able to apply the definitions of linear spaces, subspaces, linear dependence/independence, bases, dimension, rank, linear operators and be able to identify relationships between these concepts. In addition, students will be able to apply the techniques to solve applied problems from a variety of disciplines.
Topics:
Sections 1.1 – 1.6: Vectors,
Norm, Dot product, Matrix Algebra, Solving Systems of
Equations, Inverses, Homogeneous systems,
Subspaces and Bases
Section 2.1 –
2.3:
Section 3.1 –
3.4: Vector Spaces, Subspaces, Bases,
Linear Transformations
Section 4.1 –
4.3: Area, Volumes, Cross Products,
Determinants, Cramer’s Rule
Section 5.1
-5.3: (As Time Permits) Eigenvalues,
Eigenvectors, Characteristic Equation, Diagonalization, Discrete Dynamical
Systems
Attendance: The student handbook (2007-2008 edition, pg. 35) states that you are required to attend all classes. Attendance to each class is expected since we will be covering new material in each class, usually a section or two from the text each class. Also note that lack of attendance is often an indicator of whether a student succeeds in a course or not. You are responsible for getting notes and assignments for any classes missed. Please note that almost all students who have failed my courses do so because of lack of attendance!
I may notify your
academic dean if you miss an excessive number of classes (ie: more than 4
classes). I use this policy because
excessive absences typically indicate that there are external issues affecting
student performance in the course which may also affect your success in other
classes. If you are absent for an
extended period or repeatedly during a semester due to an illness or family
emergency, you should inform me as well as your Dean so that we are aware of
factors which may affect your scholastic performance.
Make-Up Policy: Please note that if you miss an exam, you are not guaranteed or entitled to a make-up exam. A missed exam, except for extreme and dire circumstances, will receive a grade of zero. In these rare cases, verification and reason for absence is required (Doctor’s note, note from the Dean’s office, etc.). It is your responsibility to provide documentation and contact me prior to the missed class so I can determine if an exam will be allowed to be made up. Missed exams will usually have to be made up as soon as possible, typically the next day or by the next class. Dates and documentation for sports or other school related absences (ie: field trips) should ideally be given at the beginning of the semester, and no later than one week before the missed class. Please note that excuses like oversleeping, having a cold, starting a weekend early or taking a vacation are not valid reasons for missing an exam. The dates for the exams are listed below.
Participation: In order to master the concepts and material of this course, you will need to actively participate in class and do LOTS of examples outside of class. In addition, you are expected to attend all classes. Simply showing up to class is not enough, you must commit to doing work consistently outside of class as well participating in class. Obviously, you can not participate in class if you are not there!
Common Courtesy: Students are expected not to text-message, surf the web, IM or check emails during class. Such behavior is distracting to me and to other students, and is just rude. Students engaging in such behavior may be asked to leave the class. Also, all cell phones should be shut off at the beginning of class, so that they do not go off during class.
Please arrive to class on time and use the facilities BEFORE class. It is disrupting to me and other students when students come in late and/or leave during class. Please be sure to dispose of your food/drink container and your trash after class.
Grading:
Homework: In order to master the concepts and material of this course, you will need to study the theory and do LOTS of examples. Simply showing up to class is not enough, you must commit to doing work consistently outside of class. Do not wait until just before an exam to do the homework or seek help. Keeping up with the material is essential to succeed in the course. You should do the homework as it is assigned and seek help throughout the semester as needed. Please feel free to work with each other on regular homework assignments and to see me if you are having difficulty with the homework. Homework will be assigned daily and I will typically assign odd numbered problems that have answers in the book. I will not collect these odd numbered homework problems.
Problem Sets: Problem sets will usually be given out weekly
on Thursdays and will be due the following Thursday at the beginning of class. Solutions must be done individually and
students should not discuss their solutions with other members of the class.
Students should treat the problem sets as they would an in-class quiz! I take this very seriously since I am trying
to determine what you have learned
individually. Sharing output or
solutions on homework is not allowed and I consider this plagiarism. Therefore, as outlined in the Academic Honest
section below, any student work that appears to be copied will receive a 0 and
students involved will be reported to the appropriate Dean(s).
Solutions to the problem sets should be complete, include justifications, be neatly written, stapled and turned in at the beginning of class (or as announced) on the due date. Each student may turn in one assignment late during the semester. The late assignment must be turned in by the beginning of the next class. After this deadline (or after the option has been used once) a late or missing assignment will receive a grade of 0. Doing well on the problem sets is essential for understanding the material of this course.
Presentations: Each student or a pair of students will be responsible for presenting
an application of linear algebra to the class during the semester. The problems and the presentation schedule
will be assigned during the first two weeks of the semester. Each presentation should be approximately 10
minutes and will be given at the beginning of class on Thursdays. Each group will present the general topic, an
example of the type of problem that it entails and explain how to solve the
example problem. Students will also be
required to answer questions from the class about their topic. In addition, the
group will need to hand in a brief paper (no more than 3-5 pages) within a week
after their presentation summarizing their topic and problem solution. The final exam will have at least 3 of the
presented problems (or ones similar to it), so it is important that students in
the class be there to see the presentations and understand the problem and
solutions
Exams: There will be 2 in-class exams and one
cumulative final exam. Questions asked
on the exams will NOT always be “just like” homework questions. I will be testing your understanding of the
concepts learned in class and some questions will see if you can apply the
skills learned to new situations. The exams are scheduled for Thur., Feb.14 and
Mon., Mar. 31. The final exam will be a
cumulative exam during the time set by the registrar’s office (Saturday,
May 3, 2005, 9am - noon in our usually classroom). Please
note the dates of the exam and plan according. You are required to take the
exams on the scheduled day and time.
The grading scheme
(assuming a 10 point problem) for homework and exams problems usually follows this
rubric:
0 pts deduction - Perfect solution with explanations
and/or justifications
1 pt
deduction: Nearly perfect solution with
a minor mistake (minor arithmetic mistake or typos, “Oops!”
mistakes)
2 or
3 pts deduction: Some progress made
toward correct solution, but there is a significant flaw in solution
5-10
pt deduction: No effort or real progress
made towards a correct solution
Final Grade
Calculation:
Please note that to
earn an A (or A-) in the course, a student must do well in all of these
assignments.
|
Assignment |
Total Points Possible |
Percent of Final Grade |
|
Presentation & Paper |
25 |
5.3% |
|
Exams [100 pts. Each] |
200 |
42.1% |
|
Problem Sets [total points/total points possible *100] |
100 |
21.1% |
|
Final Exam |
150 |
31.6% |
|
Total Points
Possible |
475 |
100% |
Final Course Grade Calculation: Your grade = Total Points Earned/475 *100%.
The usual grade
ranges apply. For example:
80 £ x < 83 is a B-, 83 £ x < 87 is a B, 87£ x < 90 is a B+, etc.
Withdrawing from the Course:
The last day to drop
the course is March 10th. If you decide to withdraw, you will need to see the
Dean of your school before the deadline in order to fill out the appropriate
forms.
Incompletes:
The policy for receiving an incomplete is outlined in the undergraduate catalog. An incomplete is issued when, due to an emergency situation, a student prearranges to complete some of the course requirement.
Academic Honesty:
All students are expected to follow the guidelines for academic honesty. (See pledge taken from the 2007-2008 Fairfield University Student Handbook, pg. 33-34). The undergraduate catalog outlines what constitutes academic dishonesty. In this course, acts of academic dishonesty may include using unauthorized “cheat sheets” on quizzes or exams; copying or obtaining questions and solutions from other students; sharing computer output or solutions, passing off someone else’s work as your own; programming inappropriate formulas/programs into calculators/PDA/cell phones (you can always check with me if you are unsure if a program you have is inappropriate); plagiarizing (copying or cut and pasting) other student’s or previously published work without proper citations; sharing computer output; etc. If you have questions about whether a particular situation is “dishonest” please ask!!!
Students caught breaking the academic honesty policy of this class will receive a grade of 0 on the assignment and/or an F in the course. The student will be reported to his/her Dean and the violation will be included in the student’s academic record.
Students with Disabilities:
Accommodations for students with documented disabilities will be made according to suggestions from the Office of Academic and Disability Support Services. Please contact Aimee Tiu, 203-254-4000 x2615, atiu@mail.fairfield.edu. Please inform me of these arrangements at the beginning of the semester.
General Words of Advice:
Feel free to consult with other students on homework problems or come to office hours if you get stuck. If you find yourself falling behind see me as soon as possible. Please do not wait until right before exam time.
Free tutoring is provided through the Office of Academic and
Disability Support Services (x2615). Students are encouraged to utilize my
office hours and to meet with me prior to arranging outside tutoring. The
For tips on how to have "Success in Math" (as well as your other classes) check out the website: http://euler.slu.edu/Dept/SuccessinMath.html
I hope you have a good semester! J