MAT 7660--001; CRN 21491; Linear Algebra; Fall 2009

Instructor: Dr.Timothy Feeman :
Department of Mathematical Sciences, Villanova University,
800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085-1699 USA
Office: SAC373; Phone: (610) 519-4693 ;
e-mail: timothy.feeman@villanova.edu Fax: (610) 519-6928

Class meetings schedule: 7660-001: Wednesdays 6:15 to 8:45 pm in JBarry 202B (note the room change from the original room assignment)

Final Exam: Wednesday, December 16, from 6:15 to 8:45 pm, in JBarry 202B.

CONTENTS:

• Homework assignment log Look here to find current and past assignments
• Fall 2009 schedule and Office Hours
• Course Description
• Text/ Reading
• Assignments and Exams
  • Homework Assignments
  • Midterm/Final exams
• Grading Policy

Fall 2009 Schedule

Teaching Schedule Fall 2009: August 24 to December 16.
MAT 2705-001 Differential Equations with Linear Algebra; CRN 21468; MWF 11:30 am to 12:20 pm in Mendel G87; Tues. 1:00 to 1:50 pm in Mendel G88.
MAT 2705-003 Differential Equations with Linear Algebra; CRN 21470; MWF 12:30 to 1:20 pm in Mendel G87; Tues. 12:00 to 12:50 pm in Mendel G88. 
MAT 7660-001 Linear Algebra (grad level); CRN 21491; W 6:15 to 8:45 pm in JBarry 202B.

 

Fall 2009 Office Hours: My office is room 373 in the St. Augustine Center.

I will be available for walk-in office hours on Mondays from 10:00 -- 11:15 am and Tuesdays from 10:45 -- 11:45 am, and by appointment. My office phone and voice mail are at 610-519-4693. You can reach me by email at  click here for link

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Course Description

     From its humble beginnings solving systems of linear equations, linear algebra has grown into a diverse and widely applied branch of mathematics intimately tied to many of today's technological achievements.  One key to this growth is the realization that matrices not only provide a convenient way to store coefficients of a system of equations but can be used to represent linear transformations between spaces of vectors. In other words, linear algebra can be used to analyze any physical process that can be approximated by a linear model. For instance, you may already have seen how this applies to systems of linear differential equations. And that is really only the beginning. In this course, then, we will focus on understanding spaces of vectors and linear transformations between such spaces. We will touch on some applications, but our main focus will be on the central ideas that make up the subject of linear algebra.

     As part of your continued development as mathematicians and scientists, this course will also emphasize learning to read, write, and think independently about mathematical problems and ideas.

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Text / Reading

The required text for the course is Linear Algebra Done Right by Sheldon Axler (2nd edition, published 1997 by Springer). We will discuss as much of Chapters 1 through 8 as we can manage. You are expected to read the text. Note that this text is not to be read passively! That is, while reading the text, you should stop to think about new ideas that are raised and work through the examples to make sure you see how the ideas are put into practice.

Maple download information

We have an unlimited site license for individual users of Maple here at Villanova. That means that you can download your own personal copy of Maple 13 onto your own computer. This is a great deal so take advantage of it! To get you started, here is a link to the Maple resources page on the Math Department web site.
http://www.villanova.edu/artsci/mathematics/resources/maple/

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Assignments and Tests

Writing assignments (also known as "homework").
In general, I will assign a variety of problems at each class meeting to be handed in at the next class meeting.

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Midterm/Final exams
Exams will be held during our regular class meeting time and in the regular class room. We will have a midterm exam on Wednesday, October 21. The final exam is on Wednesday, December 16. Each of these exams will be partly in-class and partly take-home.

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Grading Policy

Your final grade will be based on 300 possible points from the following sources:

• Homework assignments: The homework assignments will be worth 50% of your final grade.
• Midterm exam: The midterm exam will be worth 25% of your final grade.
• Final Exam: The final exam will account for 25% of your final grade.
• Grading: A weighted score of at least 90% will earn a grade of A-minus or higher. A weighted score of at least 50% is guaranteed a grade of C-minus or higher.

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last revised: 26-august-2009