| Office: OU 203B Phone: (269) 337-7107 | e-mail: intermon@kzoo.edu |
| Class Webpage (people.kzoo.edu/~intermon/mat240.htm) | |
| Homework Website (https:webwork.kzoo.edu/webwork2) | |
| Check email for our Mathematize website classroom |
Text:
Linear Algebra: A Modern Introduction by David Poole 4th edition
Goals and Content:
Linear Algebra is concerned with solving systems of linear equations.
We will begin by working with vector spaces of real numbers, and will
move into working with abstract vector spaces as the course progresses.
The language of matrices will encode our work for much of the time.
Practically speaking, we will study much of Chapters 1-4 and Chapter 6 of the text (maybe not in order!)
with additional sections as time permits.
Most courses have meta-goals as well, and this course is no exception. We will strive to improve our abilities to understand ideas from different (mathematical) points of view and to communicate our ideas to others.
Assessment: This course has several different forms
of assessment:
Homework: 15% Homework will be assigned weekly, and selected problems will be
graded. Homework will be due, scanned into Moodle, by 9am on Tuesday mornings. To allow for the possibility that sometimes you might not manage your time as well as you hope, each student is endowed with two grace days. That is, you may turn in one week's assignment up to 48 hours late, or two different week's assignments up to 24 hours late each. You will "use" a grace day by emailing the scans of your homework to me. After you have used your two grace days, no late homework will be accepted, unless serious circumstances warrant an exception.
Class Engagement: 25% You are expected to attend and be engaged in our class meetings (5%), and do all the warm up homework (WebWork, 10%), all the feedback quizzes (5%) and all the assigned MathMatize work (5%).
Exams: 25% each
There will be one midterm exam and a comprehensive final exam. The midterm is expected to be on Wednesday of Week 5. All travel arrangements for the end of the term should be made for AFTER the time scheduled by the Registrar for our final exam: Monday, June 6, 1:30-4pm.
Projects: 10%
Throughout the term, there will be approximately 3 short projects on applications of linear
algebra.
As a student at Kalamazoo College, you have pledged to uphold the
Honor Code. This includes reporting to me any dishonorable behavior you know about involving this class, as well as not engaging in such
behavior yourself. Any assignment found to have been submitted in violation of the honor code will receive an automatic F.
Workflow:
Generally, the assignments for each week will be available by Saturday morning. Before most classes, you will be expected to read in the textbook and watch a short video and try some warm up exercises in WebWork. On Tuesdays, the turn in homework will be due in Moodle by 9am, and the Mathematize modules must be completed. (These assignments will be based on the M,W,F content from the previous week.) On most Fridays we will have a quiz in class.
Obviously, some alterations to this schedule are to be expected, particularly around the time of our midterm exam and DOGL. These will be clearly noted on our class webpage.
A Few Notes:
Get engaged in our work! Many things look easier when you watch
someone else do them, but to develop skills for ourselves, most of
us need to practice. This includes math!
Abelian Grape Blogspot by Erica Dominic K'13
Homework
practicing the skills we are trying to develop Class Engagement engaging
in our on-going conversation Exams
putting together the concepts we have been learning
Projects
applying the concepts we have been learning
Visit the Math/Physics Center! I expect you'll be getting an email about the particulars of the Center's operations this term....
Finally, for the foreseeable future, masks are required to be worn in class and in office hours.