This 4-credit course is a face-to-face class, meeting 4th period (10:40–11:30 a.m.) Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in Matherly 6. The MWF meetings will be ordinary lectures by Dr. Groisser. On Tuesdays the class will meet with Teaching Assistant Andres Zuniga for Q&A and other discussion.
- What this course is about
- Use of Canvas
- Dr. Groisser's home page, with contact information
- Andres Zuniga's home page, with contact information and office hours
- Syllabus and Course Information
- Tips on using your textbook
- Homework rules and assignments
- Grade scale page. (Will be updated shortly after each assignment or exam is graded; will not exist until after the first assignment is graded.)
- Miscellaneous handouts
What this course is about
A theme that runs through almost every field of mathematics is linearity . Often one finds that the same concepts and the same arguments arise when learning differential equations, studying vectors in Calculus 3, solving simultaneous linear equations, in many other mathematical settings, and in the mathematics specific to almost every field of science and engineering. In this course we will study both the abstract concepts relating to linearity and some practical applications.
To study the essence of linearity we introduce objects called vector spaces and related concepts such as linear transformations . At first these notions may seem very abstract, but the power of abstraction is that in the end one is able to solve a host of problems by understanding a very small number of concepts.
In addition to the abstract side of linear algebra, we will be studying the computational side: matrix manipulation and solving systems of equations. However, this course should not be confused with MAS 3114, Computational Linear Algebra, which is far less theoretical. In MAS 4105 we will emphasize theorem-proving and spend less time on computation. We will do little, if any, computer work. In MAS 3114 by contrast there is less theorem-proving, and instead an emphasis on using the computer for mathematics. Make sure you are in the right course for your needs.
Use of Canvas
Most files and pages I create for this course will be housed on the website you're looking at now, not directly on Canvas. However, they will all be reachable from Canvas (possibly by navigating from this page). You will also be able to see your grades on Canvas.
I may also make some use of the "Announcement" feature in Canvas, so don't turn off Announcement-notifications.
As of this writing, I do not plan to make much other use of Canvas.
Some skills needed for success in MAS 4105
You must have the ability to write in clear, unambiguous, correctly punctuated, grammatically correct English sentences and paragraphs. An important goal of this course is to develop your ability to express mathematical ideas precisely and communicate them clearly to other people.
You are also expected not to make mistakes in elementary logic. If your instructor cannot understand your written work without excessive re-reading, or if there are elementary-logic flaws in your proofs, you will not receive a satisfactory grade in this course.