Math 235.4 : Introduction to Linear Algebra

Fall 2013

This is the webpage for section 4 of Math 235. The course-wide webpage is here.

Instructor: Paul Hacking
Email: hacking@math.umass.edu
Office: LGRT 1235H
Office Hours: Mondays 5:00PM--6:00PM and Tuesdays 4:00PM--5:00PM, in my office LGRT 1235H.
Classes: MWF 12:20PM--1:10PM in LGRT 171.

Textbook

The course text is Linear algebra with applications by Otto Bretscher (4th or 5th ed.). googlebooks.

Syllabus

(Numbers are sections from the textbook.)

Linear equations: 1.1 -- 1.3.
Linear transformations: 2.1 -- 2.4.
Subspaces of Rn and their dimensions: 3.1 -- 3.4.
Linear spaces: 4.1 -- 4.3.
Determinants: 6.1 -- 6.3.
Eigenvalues and eigenvectors: 7.1 -- 7.5.
Orthogonality: 5.1, 5.2.

Detailed syllabus: pdf.

Tentative schedule of classes here.

Class log

Homework

There will be weekly homework, due at the beginning of Wednesday's class (first homework due 9/18/13).

The homework and quizzes make up 25% of your course grade.

Homework sets

Exams

There will be two midterm exams and one final exam.

The first midterm will be held on Wednesday 10/9/13, 7:00PM--8:30PM, in LGRT 171. The syllabus for the first midterm is Chapters 1 and 2 of the textbook. The review session for the first midterm will be held on Tuesday 10/8/13, 7:00PM-8:30PM, in LGRT 171. Review questions for the first midterm are here.

The first midterm exam is here. The first midterm solutions are here.

The second midterm will be held on Wednesday 11/13/13, 7:00PM--8:30PM, in Hasbrouck Laboratory, Room 020. The syllabus for the second midterm is Chapters 1-4 and 6 of the textbook, with the emphasis being on Chapters 3,4 and 6. The review session for the second midterm will be held on Tuesday 11/12/13, 7:00PM-8:30PM, in Thompson 102. The review questions are here. Solutions are here.

The final exam will be held on Wednesday 12/11/13, 8:00AM-10:00AM, in LGRT 123. The review session for the final exam will be held on Tuesday 12/10/13, 7:00PM--8:30PM, in Marcus 0131. The review questions are here. Please try the review questions before the review session! Solutions to the review questions are here.

Calculators, notes, and the textbook are not allowed on exams and quizzes. You should bring your student ID (UCard) to each exam.

The exams make up 75% of your course grade -- 20% for each midterm and 35% for the final.

Useful links

Linear algebra computations can be done on the web in the free mathematical software "sage".
Main sage website.
Use sage online (you will need to create a username and password).
Quick reference guide to linear algebra in sage.

MIT Linear algebra course (lecture videos and course materials freely available).

Google uses linear algebra to rank search results on the web:
Expository article, Original article (see Section 2.1).


This page is maintained by Paul Hacking hacking@math.umass.edu