SYLLABUS COURSE Spring 2005 LINEAR ALGEBRA: CAS MA242, Section A1 Lecture: MWF 1-2pm in MCS 148 Discussion: W 3-4pm in PSY B37 Instructor: Steve Kunec
MCS 239 111 Cummington Street Phone: [phone] Email: [e-mail] Webpage: http://math.bu.edu/people/sak0232 Oce Hours: T 9-10am, W 12-1pm, Th 2-3pm
Course Overview
This course will present the fundamentals of linear algebra. It covers the general topics of matrix algebra, solution of linear systems, determinants, Gaussian elimination, fundamental theory, row-echelon form, vector spaces, bases, norms, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, canonical decomposition and applications to dierential/dierence equation problems. To illustrate these concepts, problems from various disciplines will be used. Prerequisite for this class are MA122 (Calculus for the Life and Social Sciences II) or MA124 (Calculus II) or MA127 (Calculus: A Review) or MA129 (Honors Calculus).
Text
Linear Algebra and Its Applications, by David C. Lay (Third Edition, Addison Wesley, 2003) This class will cover the following material from the text: Chapter 1 (Sections 1-10), Chapter 2 (Sections 1-7), Chapter 3 (Sections 1-3), Chapter 4 (Sections 1-9), Chapter 5 (Sections 1-7), Chapter 6 (Sections 1-6), Chapter 7 (Sections 1-3). You will be responsible for reading these sections. The text is accessible and will help your understanding of the lectures.
Lectures
An important part of lecture is interaction. Feel free to ask questions. I wont bite! Catch My Mistakes Score: If you notice and correct a mistake I make during lecture, you will be rewarded. I will record the occurrence and at the end of the semester, I will factor this score into your nal grade.
Discussion Sections
You must be enrolled in both my Lecture AND my Discussion sections in order to receive credit for this class. I will use our discussion section to cover applications of linear algebra, lecture and/or review previous material. The class will divided into small, 4-5 person groups
that will work together on the assignment. These projects will be graded. Everyone will hand in their own solutions, but the nice thing about groups is that you can help each other out.
Working Together, Working Alone
I encourage you to work together on the homework and during discussion sections. However, this is not acceptable during exams. If you have questions during an exam, raise your hand and I will come over. Additionally, no notes or books or other resources will be used during exams. This includes calculators.
Attendance, Late Work and Make-up Policies
Attendance is required in both my lecture and discussion section. If an emergency occurs, please provide a note listing the reason why you missed and someone I can contact to verify the excuse. Accepting late work and taking make-ups will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Arriving to class on time is expected and appreciated. Those arriving late for discussion and/or exams will not be given extra time to nish their work.
Examinations
There will be two in-class exams during regular lecture times. The rst exam will cover Chapters 1-2. The second exam will cover Chapters 3-5. Chapters 6-7 will be included on the Final Exam with material from the previous chapters. The tentative dates for these exams as are follows: Midterm #1 Tuesday, February 22 Midterm #2 Monday, April 11 These dates may change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. If this occurs, I will announce the new dates as soon as possible. The nal exam will be comprehensive. To receive credit for this course, you must take the nal exam on the assigned date, at the assigned time, and in the assigned room. Plan your schedule accordingly.
Course Grade
The course grade break-down is as follows: 25% Discussion Grade 20% Each Midterm 35% Final Exam If you are interested in knowing your approximate grade during the course of the semester, you can come and see me during oce hours.
Homework
Homework assignments will be given at the end of every class. The homework assignments will not be collected, but it is to your benet to do them. Try to solve each problem on your own before consulting other sources.
Lecture Schedule
Below is a tentative schedule of lecture and discussion topics for the semester. I suggest you read each section before coming to class. If any changes are to be made, I will notify you as soon as possible. Class Date Section Topic L1 1/19 1.1 Systems of Linear Equations D1 1.2 Row Reduction and Echelon Forms L2 1/21 1.3 Vector Equations L3 1/24 1.4 The Matrix Equation Ax = b L4 1/26 1.5 Solution Set of Linear Systems D2 1.6 Applications of Linear Systems L5 1/28 1.7 Linear Independence L6 1/31 1.8 Linear Transforms L7 2/2 1.9 The Matrix of Linear Transformation D3 1.10 Linear Models in Business, Science and Engineering L8 2/4 2.1 Matrix Operations L9 2/7 2.2 Inverse of a Matrix L10 2/9 2.3 Characterizations of Invertible Matrices D4 2.6 The Leontief Input-Output Model L11 2/11 2.4 Partitioned Matrices L12 2/14 2.5 Matrix Factorizations L13 2/16 Exam Review D5 2.7 Computer Graphics L14 2/18 3.1 Introduction to Determinants E1 2/22 Exam #1 Chapter 1 & 2 2/22 Last Day to Drop without a W L15 2/23 3.2 Properties of Determinants D6 3.3 ...