This 4-credit course is a face-to-face class, meeting 7th period (1:55–2:45) Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, in Matherly 9.
- What this course is about
- Use of Canvas
- Dr. Groisser's home page, with contact information
- Syllabus and Course Information
- Tips on using your textbook
- Homework assignments and rules for written work
- 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 easily reachable from Canvas (possibly by navigating to this page first). You will also be able to see your grades on Canvas.
Some skills and traits needed for success in this class
- 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. Also, your arguments must be free of flaws 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 (meaning C or above) in this course.
- You must be good at following rules and instructions.
- You must be interested in, and good at learning from, the feedback you receive on your written work. Costly expression of disinterest include:
- not picking up as soon as possible any work that was returned on a day you were absent; and
- not making a serious attempt to incorporate feedback on a given piece of work into all subsequent work.
Above, "not making a serious attempt" includes failure to see your instructor or TA to obtain clarification of any feedback you did not understand, soon enough to make a difference on your very next handed-in work.