FALL 2009

MATH 2260-01, 11:00 am - 12:15 pm MW in Jones 188

INTRODUCTORY LINEAR ALGEBRA

 

CRN:                                       81379

Name:                                      Chris Hill

Office:                                      Jones-383 (Macon Campus)

Telephone:                                478-471-2757

Office Hours:                            MW 10:00 - 12:00; 1:00 – 2:00 TR 9:30 - 10:30; 2:00 - 3:00 and by appointment.

Textbook:                                  Elementary Linear Algebra, fourth edition, by Venit and Bishop covering at least chapters 2 through 7 and chapter 8 sections 1 and 3.

Technology:                              A TI-84 graphics calculator is required for this course.

Email Address:                          chris.hill@maconstate.edu

Web Page Address:       http://facultyweb.maconstate.edu/chris.hill

 

Grading Policy:              The grade in this course will be determined as follows.

 

                                     Four in-class exams worth 100 points each                            400 points

                                                                                                                                                           

 

All exams are hand-graded.  A total of 360 points is necessary for an A, 320 points for a B, 280 points for a C, and 240 points for a D. 

 

Attendance:                   Attendance is not counted in the final grade, but if the student amasses over four days worth of absences (not necessarily consecutively), then the student will receive an F for the course.  Furthermore, attendance is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, and the instructor will not repeat a lecture for any reason.

 

Makeups:                      Exams that are missed can be made up if what the instructor considers a valid excuse is proffered by the student.  Makeup exams will be scheduled at the discretion of the instructor.

 

Cheating:                      Any student caught not doing his or her own work will be given a grade of F in the course.

 

Tutoring:                       Peer tutoring is available in the Academic Resource Center in the lower level of the Library Building.  Peer tutoring is also available at WRC and RRC.

 

Special Needs:              Any student needing assistance because of, but not restricted to, physical, mental, or psychological factors should go to the Counseling and Career Center (478-471-2714) located on the second floor of the Student Life Center on the Macon Campus.

 

Important Dates:                                                                       Wednesday, October 14                       Last day to drop/withdraw with a W

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                       

 

 

 

 

EXAM SCHEDULE

 

                                                                        Exam 1             covering chapters 2 and 3

                                                                        Exam 2             covering chapter 4 and chapter 5, sections 1 and 2

                                                                        Exam 3             covering chapter 5, sections 3 and 4, and chapter 6

                                                                        Exam 4             covering chapters 7 and section 8.1

(Test dates will be announced at least one week before a test)

As a Macon State College student, you are expected to read, understand, and abide by the MSC Student Code of Conduct. The Student Code of Conduct is in the MSC Student Handbook and available online at:  http://www.maconstate.edu/studentlife/studenthandbook.pdf

A plagiarism prevention service is used in evaluation of written work submitted for this course. As directed by the instructor, students are expected to submit or have their assignments submitted through the service in order to meet requirements for this course. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions.

In all programs ending in teacher certification, program candidates are expected to complete a series of assessments which demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Each key assessment has criteria which must be obtained in order for a candidate to move forward and complete the program. Therefore, passing this class does not guarantee your continuance in the program. In addition to obtaining a grade of C or higher, you must also meet the required criteria for the key assessment in order to continue to progress toward graduation in this certification program.  This course contains Key Assessment 2260-WS for GACE Standard 0004.  NOTE: The criterion for your successful completion of this key assessment is: 80% or higher.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

This is a matrix-oriented introduction to linear algebra through the study of systems of linear equations, determinants, Euclidean vector spaces, linear transformations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and related topics.

COURSE OUTCOMES AND EXPECTED RESULTS

 

A.            In order to demonstrate knowledge of mathematical skills, concepts, and ideas commensurate for problem solving and interpretation of information, the student will be expected to

 

1.                             Be proficient in row reduction of matrices, finding inverses of matrices, finding the ranks of matrices, and obtaining the determinants of matrices,

2.                             Know and use of properties of the vector space R^N and its subspaces,

3.                             Associate the rows and columns of a matrix with a set of vectors that span or generate a subspace of R^N and the rank of a matrix with the dimension of a subspace,

4.                             Know and use the definition of a linear transformation and be able to find the matrix associated with a linear transformation, and

5.                             Determine the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a matrix and its associated eigenspaces.

B.            In order to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving in a variety of settings, the student will be expected to

                1.             Use the topics of linear algebra to solve applied problems.

C.            In order to demonstrate the ability to locate, organize, and analyze information from a variety of resources with emphasis on the use of information technology, the student will be expected to

1.             Use a TI-84 calculator regularly in class and on exams and assignments.