Instructor: Dr. Stephen Saperstone, ST1-247; TEL: 703.993.1486; Math Dept: 703.993.1460; FAX: 703.993.1491

 

Course Website: http://math.gmu.edu/~sap/U09/m203/203U09.html

 

E-mail: sap@gmu.edu

Office hours: MTWR 12:00 -13:00 and by appointment in ST1 - 247

 

 

 

Course Objectives:

1. Development of linear algebra concepts introduced in the concrete setting of Rⁿ and then extended to more general settings.

2. Introduce more modern interpretation of matrix-vector multiplication - focus on columns of a matrix rather on the matrix entries.

3. Visualize geometric properties of matrix-vector multiplication using iinear transformations.

4. Understanding of eigenvalues and eigenvectors through examples of discrete and continuous dynamical systems.

5. Geometric aspects of orthogonality and least squares.

Textbook: Linear Algebra and Its Applications, 3^rd Edition Update by David C. Lay, Addison Wesley, 2006

Prerequisite: C or better in MATH 114 or its equivalent

Quizzes: There will be 12 quizzes; the two (2) with the lowest scores will be dropped. Each quiz will be given at the start of the period and will take approximately 10-15 minutes. The first quiz will be on Wed, May 20.

Exams: Two (2) midterm exams and a comprehensive final exam: tentative dates:

 

Exam 1	Thursday, May 28
Exam 2	Tuesday, June 9
Final Exam	Thursday, June 18

Exam questions will stress both problem solving AND conceptional understanding. All exams have approximately "bonus points." You can accumulate these points for the average grade on the three midterm exams.

Determination of Final Grade: Grades are based on the following distribution of credit

Quizzes	20%
Exams (2 @ 20%)	40%
Final Exam	40%

Grading Scale: See the following table.

A+	A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D	F
∞ - 99	98 - 92	91 - 90	89 - 88	87 - 82	81 - 80	79 - 78	77 - 72	71 - 69	68 - 60	59 - 0

Make-Ups: There will be none for either quizzes or exams! If you miss an exam due to a legitimate reason - which you will have to justify to me (e.g., illness), then the final exam will be used in its place. There are absolutely no make-ups for quizzes. DON'T BE LATE FOR CLASS.

 

Academic Integrity: All exams are to be done without any assistance from anyone else. Your work here is governed by the GMU Honor Code at all times.

 

 

 

Updates: Check the web site daily for updated information regarding exam dates, homework assignments, hints, etc.

 

 

 

How to Succeed in this Course:

• Read the assigned section before each lecture and attend all lectures. Count on studying at least six hours per class..

• Have a pencil & writing tablet with you as you read the text and your lecture notes. Cover up the solution to the worked out examples before you read the solution. If you get stuck, just read how to proceed. Don't read the whole solution until you are truly jammed. As a colleague of mine once said "Mathematics is not a spectator course

• Try all of the assigned exercise first without looking at the solutions. Then try many more exercises than the assigned ones.

 

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