Math 225 S1, Fall 2006

  1. Instructor: Patrick Szuta (Pat)
  2. E-mail: pat@math.uiuc.edu
  3. Class Meets: 9:00 - 9:50 am Tuesday, Thursday
  4. Office Hours: Monday, Friday: 4pm
  5. Office Location: 224 Illini Hall
  6. Class Location: 347 Altgeld
  7. Text: "Linear Algebra & Its Applications" by Lay, 3rd edition.
  8. Class webpage: www.math.uiuc.edu/~pat/fa06/
  9. Official syllabus: http://www.math.uiuc.edu/Bourbaki/Syllabi/syl225.html
  10. Final exam: December 12th, 1:30 - 4:30 PM

Matrix Theory

Most people who enroll in Math 225 do so because the course is required for their major. There is a good reason for that: non-linear models that scientists and engineers study are computationally difficult, so they use linear approximations (think matrices) that can often be handled by computers. You have already seen this idea in calculus where we study curves by approximating them with tangent lines. Thus the goal of the course is for you to develop correct intuition for the properties of matrices. This involves knowing both how to perform matrix computations and more importantly understanding why the computations produce the desired results. After all, only knowing how to take the derivative doesn't give one much insight into using calculus for practical applications. To achieve this understanding you will be asked to solve both computational and theoretical problems. Although the latter is often more difficult it's also more rewarding.

The course

Absences. If you take a look at the Course syllabus you will notice that we must cover at least one section per class day. Each section usually has one or more important ideas that will require effort on your part to understand. So, don't get behind. If you don't show up to class or office hours, unless you have an official excuse, I will assume that you understand the material. To help you stay on track I will post a summary of each class and the assigned homework on the course website.

Homework. To help you get the most out of each lecture you will be required to read every section before we cover it in class and turn in a small assignment at the beginning of each class. Further, after every lecture I will assign problems that will be collected every Tuesday at the beginning of class. Your homework must be written clearly, stapled, and contain your name and date on the first page. If I can't read your solution, then I won't grade it.

Exams. Besides a comprehensive final there will be three 1 hour exams at the end of chapters 2, 4 and 6. Because of time constraints, there will be no in-class reviews. We may hold review sessions outside of class. The exams will be designed to reflect the content of your homework and understanding of the material.

Office hours. You are strongly encouraged to come to office hours, be it during the designated times or by appointment. If you feel that your question may be better answered through email, by all means send one. I check it frequently and it's probably your best shot at getting an answer quickly.

Grading. A diploma from our highly ranked university is a sign of excellence and ability sought after by top employers and postgraduate schools. To maintain this high standard we admit top students and continually strive to improve our teaching. In exchange we expect that our students will work hard and dedicate themselves to understanding the material. Each class that you take is a challenge with certain rules and your grade reflects how well you met that challenge. With this in mind, here are the rules for our class:

  1. Homework assignments turned in every Tuesday will account for 20% of your final grade. Small homeworks due at the beginning of each lecture will add up to one "Tuesday" homework score. I will drop your lowest homework score.
  2. Exams will account for 45% of your grade, 15% per exam. I will drop your lowest exam score.
  3. The Final exam will account for the remaining 35% of your grade.
  4. Your final grade will determined by the following rubric:
    PercentGrade
    98.0% - 100%A+
    92.0% - <98.0%A
    90.0% - <92.0%A-
    88.0% - <90.0%B+
    82.0% - <88.0%B
    80.0% - <82.0%B-
    78.0% - <80.0%C+
    72.0% - <78.0%C
    70.0% - <72.0%C-
    68.0% - <70.0%D+
    62.0% - <68.0%D
    60.0% - <62.0%D-
    0% - <60.0%F
    Should the need arise, test and homework scores will be curved appropriately.

    Make sure that you understand this syllabus as it is an official contract between the instructor and the student. By staying in the course you agree to these rules!