Prof. Feingold's Office: LN-2218, Phone: 777-2465, Office Hours: MWF 12:00 - 1:00 AM and by appointment.
``Linear Algebra'' 2/E, by Kenneth M Hoffman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Ray Kunze, University of Georgia, ISBN-10: 0135367972, ISBN-13: 9780135367971, Publisher: Pearson, 1971, available on Amazon.com.
We will cover as much of the textbook as time allows.
There will be 3 hourly exams and 1 Final Exam. The hourlies will be worth 100 points each, and the (2-hour) Final Exam will be worth 150 points. The contents of each exam will be determined one week before the exam. The Final Exam will be comprehensive, covering the whole course. ANYONE UNABLE TO TAKE AN EXAM SHOULD CONTACT THE PROFESSOR AHEAD OF TIME TO EXPLAIN THE REASON. A MESSAGE CAN BE LEFT AT THE PROFESSOR'S OFFICE VOICEMAIL (777-2465). PLEASE DON'T MISS THE FINAL! Student presentations are strongly recommended but not required, so they will not be given numerical grades.
A schedule of the hourly exams will be posted below. The Final exam is determined by the registrar.
Exam 1: Friday, Oct. 8, 2010.
Exam 2: Monday, Nov. 8, 2010.
Exam 3: Monday, Dec. 8, 2010.
Final Exam: Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010, 8:30 - 10:30 AM, LN-2205 (NOTE THE CHANGE OF ROOM).
To help you prepare for Exams 1 and 2, I am showing you my old linear algebra exams which covers material very close to what we have done so far. To take this as a practice exam, only look at the questions. After you have tried the test, you can look at the solutions which are presented at the end. Here is the link to the pdf file for a practice Exam 1: Practice Linear Algebra Exam 1
The Exam 1 for our class and its solutions are available as a pdf file through the following link: Exam 1 and its solutions.
Here is the link to the pdf file for a practice Exam 2: Practice Linear Algebra Exam 2
The Exam 2 for our class and its solutions are available as a pdf file through the following link: Exam 2 and its solutions.
The Exam 3 for our class and its solutions are available as a pdf file through the following link: Exam 3 and its solutions.
In the following list of sections from the textbook I have picked problems which can be used to study for the final exam. Sections which are not listed you may skip completely.
The Final Exam for our class and its solutions are available as a pdf file through the following link: Final Exam and its solutions.
When I give an exam, I make a graph of the numerical grades, and based on the average and the distribution, I decide what range of scores corresponds to each letter grade. This allows me to give each student a letter grade as well as a number grade, and the Total of all points earned will also be given a letter grade. The letter grades on the exams indicate how a student is doing, and will be taken into consideration in making the curve for the Totals. The course grade will be determined by the curve of Total points earned as well as by the quality of presentations given and of homeworks completed.
For each section of material covered there will be an assignment of problems from the textbook. They will be due one week from the day they are assigned (or the next scheduled class meeting after that if there is a holiday). Late assignments will be accepted at the discretion of the Professor. Assignments will be examined by the professor, and returned with comments. QUESTIONS ABOUT PROBLEMS SHOULD BE ASKED OF THE PROFESSOR AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS OR IN OFFICE HOURS. Although homeworks will not be precisely graded, the number of homeworks attempted and the quality of the attempts will be considered as a factor in determining your course grade. Collaboration among students on homeworks is reasonable and encouraged, but the solutions turned in should be written in your own words. As in professional collaborations, if the key ideas of a proof were worked out by more than one person, then the paper turned in should state clearly that the results were obtained in collaboration, and those involved should be named to give credit.
CLASS ATTENDANCE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. I hope that I can stimulate your interest and participation in the classroom, so that I am not the only one talking at the board. If you are prepared to talk about some of the material, you may take the floor and do the lecturing. There is no better way of learning material than to teach it yourself to others. This can be done individually or in teams, but it takes some planning to be ready ahead of time. I cannot force you to do this, but if you have any serious interest in an academic career, I strongly recommend this preparation. The theoretical material is rather abstract, and it is necessary to understand the theory in order to do sensible calculations and interpret them correctly. Exams will be a combination of theory questions (proofs) and calculations appropriate for a course of this level. Lectures can be interrupted at any time for questions or comments. At the start of each class be ready to ask questions about homework problems or about the previous lecture.
File last modified on 12-13-2010.