Linear Algebra Course Info (Math 3333/004)

Text: The textbook for this course is Elementary Linear Algebra (9th edition), by Kolman and Hill.

Course objectives: The course will provide an introduction to systems of linear equations, matrices and matrix algebra, inner products, determinants, linear transformations (and their representation via matrices), eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and diagonalization of real symmetric matrices.

Grades: Your grade will be based on the following three categories:
Homework: 25%
Exams (2 midterms @ 25% each): 50%
Final: 50%
If your lowest test score is the final, then your final will only count as 25%. If your lowest test score is one of the two midterm exams, then that score will be dropped. Note: Your homework scores cannot be dropped.
Grades in this course will be curved: at the end of the course, the overall average score will correspond to a grade of B. The other letter grades will then be decided according to the score distribution.

Homework: Homework will be assigned during lectures and collected each Thursday at the beginning of class. Late homework will not be accepted. They upset the grading process and are unfair to other students. The key to success in this (and any other math) course is to work through a lot of exercises. This will enable you to master the material, and be better prepared for the exams. The homework assignments will only provide you with a minimum level of exposure to the material. Apart from the homework assignments that you are required to turn in, there will be additional problems---that you should not turn in---designed to familiarize you further with the course contents, and you are strongly encouraged to do them. A list of the assigned problems will be regularly updated on this site.

Help: It is easy to get stuck or frustrated on math problems. A partial remedy is to work together in groups. For regular homework assignments, groups of up to three people may turn in a joint paper. You may, of course, work alone if you prefer.
Help on the assignments and related problems will also be available during office hours.

Exams: The midterm exams will be given during regular meeting time on the following dates:
Exam 1: Thurday March 5
Exam 2: Thursday April 30

The comprehensive final examination will be held in the usual lecture room on Thursday May 14, 1:30--3:30 PM.

Calculators: This is a course of mathematical concepts and techniques, not a course of mechanical computations, so we will have little use of calculators. In particular, due to technological advances that enable certain calculators to store formulas and other information, use of calculators is prohibited during exams. Accordingly, the problems on the exams will involve little or no numerical computations.

General course policy: There will be no make-ups for missed exams unless the following conditions are met: a) there is a valid reason for the absence (such as severe illness requiring medical attention), and b) you can provide me with written verification (such as a note from your physician).

Although attendance will not be explicitly monitored, you are expected to attend class. Whether or not you attend, you are responsible for being aware of any announcements and/or modifications made in class.

The last day to withdraw with a "W" or "F" without permission of the Dean is April 3. My policy will be to grant an automatic "W" to those who wish to withdraw on or before April 3. Notice that this deadline is prior to the second midterm exam. Beginning April 6, University regulations specify that you may withdraw only in "very unusual circumstances'', and only with the permission of the Dean. Avoidance of a low grade is not a sufficient reason to obtain permission to withdraw after this date.

All cases of suspected academic misconduct will be referred to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for prosecution under the University’s Academic Misconduct Code. The penalties can be quite severe. Don't do it! For details concerning these procedures, please consult http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity. For information on your rights to appeal charges of academic misconduct, click here. Students are also bound by the provisions of the OU Student Code, which can be found here.

Students with disabilities: The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accomodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accomodations in this course are requested to speak with me as early in the semester as possible. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services prior to receiving accomodations in this course. The Office of Disability Services is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166, phone (405) 325-3852.

Religious holidays: It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays. Any student who wishes to reschedule an exam in order to observe a religious holiday should contact me during the first two weeks of classes.

Some general advice: In my experience, students who have the necessary requisites but fail to succeed in a college math course do so because they are not devoting enough time to the subject outside the classroom. How much time you spend studying depends on your prior preparation and individual inclination. However, you should reasonably expect to spend at least six hours per week doing homework, reviewing lecture notes, etc. An essential part of the learning process is to read the material that will be covered in a lecture before class, even if you do not fully comprehend it. One last word of caution: do not fall behind! The course is fast-paced and new results build on old, so that if you don't understand what came before, you won't understand later topics.

Tentative Class Schedule for Lectures

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