Math 201: Linear Algebra

Professor: Jonah Blasiak

Fall 2018

Tuesdays and Thursdays 4-5:50pm, Academic Building 219
Course Description: This course covers standard topics of Linear Algebra: systems of linear equations, matrix algebra, determinants, vector spaces, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, orthogonality. It is expected that students will get an idea of linearity, master some methods of abstract reasoning and proving mathematical statements.
Prerequisites: Math 121 or its equivalent.
Office Hours: Korman 275, Tuesday 1-2:30pm, Wednesday 1-2:30pm.
Required text: Linear Algebra and Its Applications, by David C. Lay (5th Edition).
Exam Policy: No books or electronic devices are allowed on the midterm or exam. No collaboration is permitted at the midterm or exam. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UPS FOR EXAMS.
The midterm will be in-class on October 25.
Students with special exam-taking requirements or time conflicts should contact me by October 09.
Quiz Policy: Quizzes will be given in class every Tuesday. They will be about 15 minutes long. Same rules as the exams apply.
Homework Policy: You may consult each other and the textbook above. List all people and sources who aided you and whom you aided, and write up the solutions independently, in your own language. It is easy nowadays to find solutions to almost anything online. DO NOT consult such solutions until after turning your homework. Late homeworks will not be accepted.
Homework Help: Math Resource Center (Korman 247)
Grade Breakdown:
  • 10% Homework
  • 20% Weekly quizzes
  • 30% Midterm
  • 40% Final
    • Grading Policy:
  • A: 85-100%
  • B: 70-85%
  • C: 55-70%
  • D-F: 0-55%

    • Syllabus

    Week 1: Sep 25, Sep 27
    Linear equations: Sections 1.1-1.2
    Read Sections 1.1-1.3 and the handouts Joy of Sets and Mathematical Hygiene.
    Homework 1 due Oct 02. Includes book problems, Section 1.1 #14, 20, 24, 26; 1.2 #8, 12, 16, 20, 24
    Book problems for 1.3 are no longer due Oct 02. They will be on the next homework set.

    Week 2: Oct 02, Oct 04
    Linear equations: Sections 1.3-1.5, 1.7
    Homework 2 due Oct 09. Includes book problems, Section 1.3 #6, 22, 26; 1.4 #14, 15, 26, 32, 34; 1.5 #24, 26, 30, 32, 38
    There will be a quiz on Tuesday, October 09 covering 1.1-1.5.

    Week 3: Oct 09, Oct 11
    Linear transformations and matrix algebra: Sections 1.7-1.9, 2.1
    Homework 3 due Oct 16. Includes book problems, Section 1.7 #12, 21, 36, 38; 1.8 #11, 17, 32,34; 1.9 #6, 21, 23, 29, 30

    Week 4: Oct 16, Oct 18
    Inverses, determinants: Sections 2.1-2.3
    Homework 4 due Oct 23. Includes book problems, Section 2.1 #10, 12, 18, 26; Section 2.2 #1, 9, 16, 22, 31; Section 2.3 #2, 4, 8, 14, 18, 26.

    Week 5: Oct 23, Oct 25
    Determinants: Sections 3.1-3.2
    Reminder: Midterm Oct 25. This will cover Sections 1.1-1.5, 1.7-1.9, 2.1-2.3, and 3.1-3.2. It will be in-class and 90 minutes long. Here is the midterm from 2015. No quiz Tuesday Oct 23 because of the midterm, but homework 4 is still due Oct 23.
    Homework 5 due Nov 01. Includes book problems, Section 3.1 #6, 14, 24, 33; Section 3.2 #19, 34, 40; Section 3.3 #19, 27, 30.

    Week 6: Oct 30, Nov 01
    Vector spaces: Sections 3.3, 4.1-4.3
    Homework 6 due Nov 08. Includes book problems, Section 4.1 #3, 6, 13, 15, 18; Section 4.2 #5, 10, 24, 28, 30; Section 4.3 #3, 9, 14, 20, 25.
    Quiz Thursday Nov 1, not Tuesday. It will be focused on 3.1-3.3. From now on quizzes will be on Thursdays and homeworks will be due on Thursdays.

    Week 7: Nov 06, Nov 08
    Vector spaces: Sections 4.4-4.6
    Homework 7 due Nov 15. Includes book problems, Section 4.4 #1, 8, 14, 23, 24; Section 4.5 #3, 8, 14, 18, 29, 30; Section 4.6 #3, 6, 18, 30, 34.
    The quiz November 08 will focus on Sections 4.1--4.3. I will be away on November 08 and Dan Summers will teach that class.

    Week 8: Nov 13, Nov 15
    Rank: Sections 4.6
    No class Thursday Nov 15 because of the snow. The quiz on 4.4-4.6 will be moved to next Tuesday Nov 20. Homework 7 is also due that day.

    Week 9: Nov 20
    Eigenvectors and eigenvalues: Sections 5.1
    Homework 8 due Thursday, Nov 29. Includes book problems, Section 4.9 #7, 17; Section 5.1 #8, 15, 25, 26, 29; Section 5.2 #7, 9, 18, 22.

    Week 10: Nov 27, Nov 29
    Applications to Markov chains, eigenvectors and eigenvalues, diagonalization: Sections 4.9, 5.2, 5.3.
    Homework 9 due Thursday, Dec 6. Includes book problems, Section 5.3 #6, 9, 12, 16, 20, 26, 27, 28; Section 5.5 #3, 8, 15, 23.

    Week 11: Dec 04, Dec 06
    Eigenvectors and linear transformations, complex eigenvalues, final review: Sections 5.3,5.5.
    Since we will not get to 5.5 until class on Thurs, you do not have to turn in the four book problems from Section 5.5 and the Quiz will not cover 5.5. This material will appear on the final.

    The Final Exam is on Wednesday, Dec 12, 8:00am-10:00am, in LEBOW 241. Here is a practice final and solutions. Our final will be significantly easier than this one and also note that it has questions on inner products which we have not covered.

    Office Hours during final exam week will be 1:00-2:30 Monday and Tuesday.

    Important University Policies:

    Academic Dishonesty

    Course Drop Policy

    Code of Conduct

    Disability Resources:
    Students requesting accommodations due to a disability at Drexel University need to request a current Accommodations Verification Letter (AVL) in the ClockWork database before accommodations can be made. These requests are received by Disability Resources (DR), who then issues the AVL to the appropriate contacts. For additional information, visit the DR website at drexel.edu/oed/disabilityResources/overview/, or contact DR for more information by phone at 215.895.1401, or by email at disability@drexel.edu.
    Outcomes: The students should be able to solve systems of linear equations by Gaussian elimination (matrix row reduction), find matrix rank, column and row spaces, determinants, know basics of matrix algebra, understand orthogonality of vectors and the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization algorithm.