| Course description | Office Hours | |
| Textbook | Class Location | Class Meetings |
| Class Participation | Homework Policy | Exams |
| Grading | Students with disabilities | Honor Code |
Course description: This course presents the fundamental concepts and applications of linear algebra with an emphasis on Euclidean space. Significant goals of the course are that the student develop the ability to perform meaningful computations and to write accurate proofs. Topics include bases, subspaces, dimension, determinants, characteristic polynomials, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and especially matrix representations of linear transformations and change of basis.
Office
Hours:
Bradley 1M-in
the basement
Monday - 3:30-5pm
Friday -
11:05-12:30 (right after class)
Textbook
: Linear
Algebra and Its Applications - by David C. Lay
We will cover
part or all of Chapters 1-6.
Class Meetings: The class is scheduled to meet MWF 10:00-11:05 and Th 12:00-12:50 (x-period). Plan on attending all scheduled class meetings and x-periods.
Class Participation: At the beginning of each class, I will ask students to summarize basic definitions, facts or important theorems presented in class to date. The style will be informal, but it will be important that you have reviewed your notes from the previous lecture well enough to explain the main ideas in your own words. Using the vocabulary and talking about the concepts should enhance your understanding of the material. You are encouraged to ask questions in class.
Homework Policy: Homework will be assigned for each class and will be posted on the class web site. Every Wednesday, you will turn in the assignments from the previous Wednesday, Friday and Monday. Although homework will only be collected weekly, it will be assumed that you will be keeping up with the assignments on a daily basis.
Homework should be legible and submitted on 8.5 x 11-inch paper. If your assignment consists of more than one sheet, please be sure to staple it. Please do not submit homework on paper that has been torn from a notebook and retains its jagged edges. Late homework will not be accepted. Illegible homework will not be graded. Take pride in your work--recopy it before submission if necessary! The lowest homework grade will be dropped; this includes missing homework due to illness or homework that was not graded because it was illegible. Homework will be graded on a 0-10 scale.
You may work together while completing the homework assignments, but the write-up and the understanding presented in your submission must be entirely your own.
Exams: There will be two midterms (probably part in-class and part take-home), one each on April 19 and May 10. Note that the mid-term exams are scheduled during the x-period.
The final exam will be scheduled by the registrar between June 1st and 5th. If you must make plans to leave Hanover before the final exam schedule is released, do not plan to leave before the end of exam period. The final exam will not be given early to accommodate travel plans.
You may not work with others on the mid-term or final exams.
Grading:
Your
grade for the class will be determined as follows:
Homework: 20%
Midterm exam 1:
25%
Midterm exam 2:
25%
Final exam: 30%
Students with disabilities: Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak to me by the end of the 2nd week of the term. Any such discussion will remain confidential, although the Student Disabilities Coordinator may be consulted to verify the documentation of the disability.
Honor
Code: You are expected to adhere to the letter and the spirit of the
Dartmouth Honor Code.