Math 3A Summer Session II 2012

Math 3A (44310) - Summer Session II 2012

Introduction to Linear Algebra

Lecturer Neil Donaldson
Office RH 410A (Rowland Hall)
Office Hours 11-11.50am MWF
Email ndonalds@math.uci.edu
Lecture Times MWF 1-2.50pm PCB 1200 (Parkview Classroom Building)
Homework + Notes page

Discussion Session

Sec A1 (44315) MWF 12-12.50pm PCB 1200

Teaching Assistant Scott Northrup
Office RH 410V
Office Hours 3-4 pm M, or by appointment
Email snorthru@uci.edu

Extra Help! Professor Howard Tucker (RH 474) is on hand much of the week (usually MWF 9-12 & 2-3, TuTh 9-12 & 1-3, Sa 10-12 & 1-4) to provide extra office hours and assistance for Math 3A and Math 13 students. Professor Tucker has decades of experience teaching these classes and helping students deal with the first steps in learning how to think abstractly. If you wish extra assistance for any reason, go knock on his door!

Syllabus The course continues the study of linear algebra from Math 2J. In particular we cover the following topics: Vector Spaces, Linear Transformations, and Orthogonality (including Least Squares problems, Inner Product Spaces, and Gran-Schmidt Orthogonalization)

Course Text The course text is the 8th edition of Steven J. Leon's Linear Algebra with applications. You are NOT required to buy the book as homework questions will be posted directly on the homework page, however the text will be followed closely so it will be very useful to have a copy. All references in the syllabus will be from the 8th Ed.
For a more detailed syllabus click here

Assessment The final grade for the course will be computed as follows: 50% Final, 25% Midterm, 25% Quizzes/Homework

Homework Questions On the Mondays of weeks 2 and 3, and the Wednesdays of weeks 4 and 5 there will be either a quiz or homework will be collected in the discussion class. You will not be told which in advance.
Homework questions for each week will be posted on the website. You should come to the HW/Quiz day discussion ready to submit the starred questions from the list. Of these, some or all will be graded if homework is collected. If there is a quiz, no homework will be collected.
There will one midterm during normal class time on Friday August 24th
The final is on Wednesday September 12th during normal class time. The exam will be comprehensive.

Add/Drop & Enrollment Questions

Should the class be full, a waitlist will operate
If you are not yet enrolled you will still be expected to attend discussion class and submit homework and complete quizzes. Noadjustment will be made for students starting the class late.
Prior to Friday August 17th (week 2) all adds, drops, and grade-changes (P/NP) should be completed online --- add/drop forms have no effect in weeks 1 and 2 and will not be signed by the instructor
If you are on the waitlist and space opens up in the first two weeks of class you will be automatically added to the class
If you are not automatically added in such a situation, it is either because you haven't paid, your pre-requisites haven't checked out, or you are trying to enroll in this class while still enrolled in another: you must be able to add the discussion class and the lecture without conflicts --- ask summer session which is preventing you from being added
After August 17th all course changes require the instructor's signature on a Summer Session Course Change Request form which should be taken to the Summer Session Office
Should you wish to add the class after this point you will need to satisfy the instructor that you have completed the relevant pre-requisites, or an equivalent. Your enrollment will still be contingent upon paying your fees.
Requests to change grade option to Pass/No Pass will be granted until Friday August 31st.
Requests to drop the class will not be granted after August 17th except in extreme cases.
The absolute deadline for all course change requests is Friday August 31st when you must deliver a signed course change request form to Summer Session by close of business
Your name must appear on the official course roster before the Midterm on Friday August 24th or you will not be allowed to take the test.

Studying & Grading

Your goals in the class should be to understand the definitions, theorems and structures of Linear Algebra and to work to effectively communicate that understanding. If your goal is merely to get an A, then you certainly won't succeed. If you think you have a chance to get an A by simply memorizing the main formulas and changing numbers in a few standard examples you will similarly fall short. It is impossible to learn the material necessary to do well in this class without putting in substantial time outside of lectures and discussion classes. Attempting homework questions and reading/understanding solutions and results are the method by which you will best learn the material - there are no shortcuts.

Here are several tips to achieving a good grade:

Work steadily through the term and don't give up: The course builds on itself all the way through, so don't get behind! Math courses always seem hard at first before everything suddenly clicks and it becomes easy - if you work steadily through the term you give yourself the maximum chance of this happening!
Form a study group: Your fellow students are your best resource. Compare homework methods and strategies. Trying to explain to others will help your own understanding if you already get it.
Make the best use of your instructors: We want to help you understand as much as you can! If you come to discussion classes/office hours with concrete questions based on putting significant effort into homework or on trying to understand your lecture notes then our assistance will be much more useful to you.
Rewrite your lecture notes after each lecture: this helps you notice mistakes and raises questions/issues to be addressed by the instructors.
Before each exam try to condense your lecture notes to 2 sides of paper (or less) in such as way that you understand everything that's written: As you excise explanations/examples that you no longer need, you will focus in on your areas of difficulty.
Think of mathematics like a performance art: You must practice (doing/discussing/reading questions) before performing (taking exams). It is just as impossible to learn mathematics by using flash cards or other last-minute memory aids as it is to learn to play the guitar by making flash cards of chord patterns; you learn nothing until you pick up the instrument...

Letter grades are awarded based on the quality of your work - this is a subjective matter and one on which we need not agree. The following is a rough guide to what grade letters mean, and what you have to demonstrate in order to achieve them:

D:	Can approximately recall the basic definitions of the class and perform simple calculations based on class examples
C:	Can recall the most important definitions and theorems and perform longer calculations similar to class examples
B:	Can accurately quote most major definitions and theorems of the class and apply them to all major areas covered in the lectures
A:	Can accurately quote all major definitions and theorems of the class and apply them to situations not covered in lectures

Exams are written purely to separate the class and make it easy to tell which of the above categories your work places you - the percentages chosen to do this are not fixed and do not carry any objective meaning. You will receive a letter-grade equivalent with your midterm score. Before you think about arguing for points, ask yourself honestly if your understanding of the class material is sufficient to meet the above written equivalents.

Class policies

Please read the following before emailing: you may not get a response if your question is answered here.

No quizzes or homeworks will be dropped, nor a make-up exam given for anything other than a properly documented reason. Vacations are not acceptable reasons for missing assessments!
Late homework will not be accepted for credit although we will be happy to discuss its mathematical quality with you.
Don't ask for extra credit as refusal often offends.
Class absences: It is your choice to take this class in the summer and, perhaps, forgo a vacation or other fun activities to do so. You are paying for the class so it's your right to do what you like with it even if that means only turning up for the exams. However no rearrangements will be made in order to accommodate vacations or other optional absences from assessments. Make sure you understand the cost before you book a mid-session break, or accept a job whose hours conflict with class.
Course conflicts: You must be able to register for the class without any conflicts. It it your responsibility to make sure you are in discussion for any assessments as there will be no opportunity to take them at any other time.
Academic Honesty: Both the Math department and UCI take a dim view of dishonest behavior with regards to assessments: e.g. submitting another's work as your own, copying during exams, bringing notes to exams, etc. Harsh penalties are in place for students who try and are caught: depending on the seriousness you may be given an F for the assessment, for the class as a whole, or even suspended from the University. Think before you try anything, for the result of getting caught is always worse than the grade you'd get by acting honestly.