MA 322 - Matrix Algebra and its Applications (Fall 2005)

Section 004 taught by Uwe Nagel at the University of Kentucky.


Overview

Basic Information

Time and Place: 1:00-1:50 pm  MWF, CB 243

Instructor: Uwe Nagel, POT 763, 257-6793, uwenagel@ms.uky.edu and www.ms.uky.edu/~uwenagel.

Office Hours: 3:00-3:50  MWF in POT 763, or by appointment.
You can also consult me by email.

Exams: There will be two midterms and one final exam.

All exams are cumulative in the sense that students are expected to know also the material that has been on previous exams.


Material

Textbook: Linear algebra and its applications (3rd edition) by David C. Lay, ISBN 0-321-28713-4.

Matrix algebra has its roots in the study of simultaneous linear equations in several variables. The development of systematic methods to find and to discuss the solutions of linear equations has lead to fundamental concepts and methods such as matrix, Gaussian elimination, vector space, dimension, linear transformation, determinant, eigenvalue, inner product. The goal of the course is to become very familiar with all these objects.
Ideas, methods, and the language of matrix algebra are widely used in all areas of mathematics and most other sciences. The course will basically cover Chapters 1-7 of the textbook.


Tentative Schedule


Homework and Quizzes

A short quizz will be given during the last 10 minutes of each Friday lecture beginning September 2, except during exam weeks. Make-up quizzes will not be given without an excused absence.

Homework problems will be regularly assigned using a web-based homework system (WHS). Each student has an individual, Personal Version of the web-based homework assignments which he or she is expected to work on and to submit the answers on the web.  For each problem set there is also a Common Version of problems similar to the personal version. Everyone gets the same common version. Problems on the common version are the ones most likely to be discussed in class. Credit is only given for correct solutions of problems appearing in the student’s Personal Version according to the following rules:

This homework system is reached at
http://www.mathclass.org. There are links which provide information. Accounts already exist for pre-registered students. Your initial login and password is your student number. Please change your login immediately to your complete email address and change your password to whatever you prefer. You may also use a non-university email address.
Students who are not pre-registered will need to follow the initial instructions at the "For Students" link to get started. Subsequent sections of the "For Students" link describe how to use the system. If you have problems with your account, there will be student staff in the Mathskeller to help you. The Mathskeller is room 65 in the basement of the White Hall Classroom Building. A schedule can be found at http://www.mathskeller.com/.

I strongly recommend to approach the homework assigments via the following rules.

You are encouraged to discuss homework problems and the course material with each other. However, when it comes time for you to write up or enter the solutions, I expect you to do this completely on your own. It would be the best for your understanding if you put aside your notes from the discussions with your classmates and wrote up the solutions entirely from scratch. Working together on the exams, of course, is expressly forbidden.


Practice exams

(no longer available)


Grades

There is a total of 450 points in the course which is distributed as follows:
    Attendance25 points
    Homework50 points
    Quizzes50 points
    First Midterm100 points
    Second Midterm100 points
    Final Exam125 points

In this model an A requires at least 405 points (90% or more), B at least 360 (80% or more), C at least 315 (70% or more), D at least 270 (60% or more), E for anything else.


Last Up-date: September 23, 2005