Math 301, Spring 2021 Syllabus

  1. Course Information
    1. Instructor
    2. Section
  2. Course Learning Outcomes
  3. Required Textbook
  4. Grading
    1. Components of course grade
    2. Midterm and final exams
    3. Homework
    4. Quizzes
    5. Online work
    6. Attendance
  5. Help
    1. Allowed resources
    2. Helpful Websites
    3. University Resources
  6. Important Dates
  7. Other

Course Information

Course Number:
Math 301
Course Title:
Introduction to Linear Algebra
Course Description:
Linear algebra from a matrix perspective with applications from the applied sciences. Topics include the algebra of matrices, methods for solving linear systems of equations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, matrix decompositions, vector spaces, linear transformations, least squares, and numerical techniques.
Prerequisites:
MATH 175

Instructor

Instructor:
Zach Teitler [he/him/his]
Email:
zteitler@boisestate.edu
Website:
https://zteitler.github.io
Office:
MB 233A
Office Phone:
208-426-1086

Section

Section Number:
001
Meeting Times:
MoWe 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Meeting Remotely:
We will meet remotely using Zoom. Zoom sessions may be recorded for students who are not able to attend.
Zoom meeting ID:
TBA

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Solve systems of linear equations using multiple methods, including Gaussian elimination and matrix inversion.

  2. Carry out matrix operations, including inverses and determinants.

  3. Demonstrate understanding of the concepts of vector space and subspace.

  4. Demonstrate understanding of linear independence, span, and basis.

  5. Determine eigenvalues and eigenvectors and solve eigenvalue problems.

  6. Apply principles of matrix algebra to linear transformations.

  7. Use mathematically correct language and notation for Linear Algebra.

  8. Demonstrate computational proficiency involving procedures in Linear Algebra.

  9. Solve problems that apply Linear Algebra to other areas including science and engineering.

Required Textbook

Linear Algebra, by Jim Hefferon, https://hefferon.net/linearalgebra/

This book is available as a free PDF and also on paper (not free, but inexpensive).

Grading

Components of course grade

Grades will be determined based on two midterm exams, a non-cumulative final exam, and homework. Weights will be as follows:

Category Weight
Midterm 1 20%
Midterm 2 20%
Final Exam 20%
Homework 20%
Quizzes 20%

Midterm and final exams

Midterm exams will be take-home exams, due in the 5th and 9th weeks on Thursday. The final exam will have both a take-home component and also an “in-class” component.

Exam Due Date
Midterm 1 2/11/21
Midterm 2 3/11/21
Final (take-home) 5/4/21
Final (in-class) 5/5/21 (12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.)

Homework

You are encouraged to work collaboratively on homework.

Quizzes

Short quizzes will be every 1–2 weeks.

Online work

Submissions and grading for homework, quizzes, and take-home exams will be paperless, using WeBWorK and/or GradeScope.

Attendance

Class attendance is required during the first week of the semester. After the first week, class attendance will be optional, not required, and not graded. On the other hand it is highly recommended. Attending class has many benefits such as:

  • Opportunities to ask questions and get immediate feedback (and then, ask followup questions)

  • Establish relationships with other students and with the instructor (might be helpful in case you decide to look for a study group, or research opportunities or a letter of recommendation)

  • Spend part of class time working together on the homework

Help

Allowed resources

For homework assignments, you are encouraged (in fact, expected) to collaborate with your classmates and to ask me questions. Other resources (books, online sources, people outside the class) are highly recommended for clarifying class topics or for enrichment (but not for getting solutions to problems).

You are allowed to use things that you learn from a book, online source, or person outside the class that help you and your classmates to find your own solution for a problem. However, if you read a full solution, so that there’s little or left for you and your classmates to figure out,nothing then you may not turn in that solution for credit.

Helpful Websites

The Mathematics Stack Exchange (https://math.stackexchange.com) is a very useful question-and-answer site for undergraduate/graduate level mathematics. You are welcome to browse the Mathematics Stack Exchange and even post questions there. Hopefully it will help you learn and understand the material! However please remember that if you use that site to get a solution to a problem, then you can’t turn that solution in for credit.

Other helpful websites for basic information include Wikipedia and MathWorld (http://mathworld.wolfram.com).

University Resources

Boise State University’s The Basics web page has links to many forms of support, ranging from academic resources to family, living, and food resources.

The Graduate College has many resources for graduate students such as GradWell, the Graduate Student Success Center, and Graduate Writing Consultations, as wells as forms, deadlines, and graduation information for graduate students.

Boise State University’s Writing Center may be helpful.

You may reach out to me at any time if there’s anything I can help with or if there’s anything you think I should know.

Important Dates

Monday 1/11 First day of classes
Monday 1/18 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr./Idaho Human Rights Day. No classes.
Monday 1/25 Last day to register/add or to drop without a W
Monday 2/15 Presidents’ Day. No classes.
Friday 3/19 Last day to drop with a W or completely withdraw
  4/12-16 Spring Break. No classes.
Friday 4/30 Last day of instruction for regular classes
Wednesday 5/5 Final Exam, 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Tuesday 5/11 Grades due. (You will be able to see your grade by this date.)

Other

Respect for Diversity:
Students from all backgrounds and with all perspectives are welcome in this course. It is my intent that all students be well served by this course, that students’s learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. It is my intent to maintain a classroom atmosphere that is welcoming and respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups.
ADA Policy Statement:
Students with disabilities needing accommodations to fully participate in this class should contact the EAC. All accommodations must be approved through the EAC prior to being implemented. To learn more about the accommodation process, visit the EAC’s website at https://www.boisestate.edu/eac/new-students/.
Email:
In accordance with Boise State University Policy #2280, it is expected that you will receive and read emails sent to your boisestate.edu email address.
Communication:
Additional information and updates may be announced in class, sent by email, and/or posted on BlackBoard (https://blackboard.boisestate.edu/).
Academic Integrity:
Getting answers to homework or exam problems from unauthorized sources is a very serious form of academic misconduct.
Behavioral Expectations:
Every student has the right to a respectful learning environment. In order to provide this right to all students, students must take individual responsibility to conduct themselves in a mature and appropriate manner and will be held accountable for their behavior in accordance with Boise State University Policy #2050.