Math 341 Fall 2013

Math 341 Tentative Syllabus - Fall 2013

Instructor: Professor Marie A. Vitulli

Office: 3 Deady

Lectures: MTWF 10:00 - 10:50 a.m. in 195 Anstett

Phone: (541) 346-5530

Office Hours: M 11:00 - 11:50, Tu 1:00-2:30, W 11:00 - 11:50

Textbook: Linear Algebra and Its Applications, 4th Edition, by David C. Lay (or the Custom Edition for the University of Oregon or the Custom Edition for SUNY Buffalo). I urge you to familiarize yourself with the website for the text. Beware that if you buy 3rd Edition of the text, the exercises won't match up with the exercises found in the 4th edition, which is identical to the custom edition, except the custom edition is paperback rather than hardcover. You will be responsible for getting the correct version of all assigned problems.

Prerequisites/Course Content: The prerequisite for this course is Math 252 or the instructor’s consent. It is recommended that you have taken Math 253 or its equivalent. Unless you have spoken with me privately, I will assume you have had a 2 term sequence of calculus at the university level. In Math 341 we study the following topics: systems of linear equations; vector and matrix algebra; vector spaces; linear combinations; linear independence and dimension; linear functions (a.k.a. linear transformations); rank and nullity; determinants; and abstract vector spaces. We will also cover many applications of these topics.

Expectations: I expect that you will attend lectures and actively participate. You must read the text with a pencil and paper nearby and figure out the answers to the questions posed in the text as well as convince yourself of the veracity of the author's assertions. You must learn the definitions so well that you can repeat them virtually verbatim. Mathematics courses are like language courses: you must prepare between class meetings to avoid falling behind. I expect you to work on the homework problems as we cover the material in class.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the term the successful Math 341 student will be able to:

use Gaussian elimination to: solve a linear system; find the inverse of a given matrix, and find the determinant of a given matrix;
read off the solution set of a linear system from a matrix in reduced row echelon form;
row reduce, add, scale, multiply, invert, transpose, and form linear combinations of matrices;
set up and solve linear systems that model applications to business, economics, science, and engineering;
use Cramer's rule to solve a linear system;
use cofactors to find the inverse of a given matrix and the determinant of a given matrix;
determine whether a set with specified operations of addition and scalar multiplication is a vector space. Here, and in relevant items below, be familiar with both finite-dimensional and infinite-dimensional examples;
determine whether a given subset of a vector space is a subspace;
determine whether a given set of vectors is linearly independent, spans a subspace, or is a basis for a subspace;
determine the dimension of a given vector space or of a given subspace;
find bases for the null space, row space, and column space of a given matrix, and determine its rank;
find bases for the kernel and range of a linear transformation;
demonstrate understanding of the Rank Theorem and its applications; and
find the matrix representation relative to given bases of a given linear transformation.
use coordinates to translate problems in abstract vector spaces to problems in Rⁿ

Homework assignments and exams will provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their success at achieving these learning outcomes.

Exams/Homework: I will assign homework problems each week; check the course website on Blackboard for updates. Late homework WILL NOT be accepted; I will drop the lowest homework score. It is essential that you do the homework; you can work with others but you must write up the solutions yourself. There will be 2 in-class exams and a final exam. Make-ups for the exams will be given only if you have my PRIOR CONSENT at least 48 hours in advance and the circumstances are extraordinary. On the exams many of the problems will be based on the homework problems. When writing explanations, make sure you write complete sentences that follow the usual rules of grammar. You should check the Blackboard web site for solutions to the homework and exams, exam reviews,and other updated course information.

Course Grade: I will tentatively determine your course grade by the following weights:

Homework: 20%

Exam 1: 25%

Exam 2: 25%

Final: 30%

Technology: I expect you to be able to carry out matrix calculations by hand so as to gain a solid understanding of what these calculations entail. You may use technology (graphing calculators, Mathematica, etc.) on your homework problems unless you are explicitly told not to. You will be allowed to use graphing calculators on your exams, but you will have to show all intermediate steps for credit. See manuals/guide books on websites below.

TI Website for Calculators

HP Website for Graphing Calculators

Important Dates

October 7th [M]	Last day to: drop a class without a mark of ‘W’ recorded
October 9th [W]	Last day to: add a class; change from audit to credit or credit to audit
October 23rd [W]	Math 341 Exam 1 at 10:00 a.m.
Nov. 13th [W]	Math 341 Exam 2 at 10:00 a.m.
Nov. 17th [Su]	Last day to: drop a class with a mark of ‘W’ recorded; change grade options; change variable credits
November 28 - 29	Thanksgiving holiday; No classes
December 9th [M]	Math 341 Final Exam at 10:15 a.m.

Classroom Behavior:

Class starts promptly at 10:00 a.m. You should be in your seat and ready to begin class at this time. Class ends at 10:50 a.m. Packing up your things early is disruptive to your fellow students and to me.
If you enter the classroom late or need to leave early please sit near a door. Walking across the room during the lecture is disrespectful of your fellow students and me.
Attendance and classroom participation is a necessary part of this course. To participate you must attend class having prepared the materials for the day.
Please raise your hand to be recognized.
Please turn your cell phones off during class. If the phone rings it will be embarrassing for you and disturbing for everyone else in the class.
Remove your ear buds and close down your computers. I won’t tolerate web surfing or email activities during lecture.
Classroom discussion should be civilized and respectful to everyone and relevant to the topic we are discussing. If you miss a lecture please ask someone else in the class for lecture notes; we can’t use class time to revisit a topic that was covered in your absence.

Academic Dishonesty: The university has detailed guidelines covering various forms of academic dishonesty including plagiarism, fabrication, cheating, and academic misconduct. This information can be online at academic dishonesty. You may work with fellow students on your homework assignments but I expect that what you turn in or complete online is your own work in your own words. I expect that you won’t consult anyone else’s paper on exams. I will hold you responsible for academic dishonesty if you don’t follow both my and university guidelines.

Tentative Schedule

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Friday
1. Sept 30 - Oct 4	1.1		1.2	1.3
2. Oct 7 - 11	1.4		1.5 HW #1 due	1.6
3. Oct 14 - 18	1.7		1.8 HW #2 due	1.9
4. Oct 21 - 25	Catch Up	Review HW #3 due	Exam 1	2.1
5. Oct 28 - Nov 1	2.2	2.3	2.4 HW #4 due
6. Nov 4 - 8	2.8		3.1 HW #5 due	3.2
7. Nov 11 - 15	3.3	Review HW # 6 due	Exam 2	4.1
8. Nov 18 - 22	4.1	4.2	4.3
9. Nov 25 - 29	4.4	4.5	4.5 HW #8 due	Thanksgiving Holiday No class
10. Dec 2 - 6	4.6		4.6	Review HW #9 due
11. Dec 9 - 13	Math 341 Final 10:15 a.m.