Math 221H, Spring 2006
Introduction to Linear Algebra (Honors)
John Zweck
Course Materials
Schedule and Homework (Updated Daily)
Syllabus [pdf]
Survey [pdf]
Web site for Lay's "Linear Algebra"
Lay's "How to Study Linear Algebra"
Click on "Getting started with your course" and then "How to Study Linear
Algebra".
Matlab
MatLab is available on many UMBC computers. (You can also purchase
the student version for about $100 from the bookstore.)
Ask OIT if you have trouble finding MatLab on computers in the UMBC
computer labs or have trouble starting up MatLab.
The Study Guide for Lay's Linear Algebra,
which is available from the bookstore has very a useful
introduction and tutorials that will give you all the information
you will need to successfully use MatLab for your homework and projects.
On the course web page,
I will provide additional matlab files you will need for the
projects and homework.
If you get stuck talk/email me.
Projects
Projects Web Page
Matlab Programs and Data for Homework
Data and Programs [Compressed directory file]
or to access individual files:
Data and Programs [Individual Files]
Advice for Matlab Homework due Wed 22nd Feb
I recommend you read the following pages from the Study Guide:
1-6, 1-15, 1-20, 1-46.
Also, in the Data and Programs compressed directory above, you will find
the following functions: replace.m, swap.m, scale.m.
These functions will be very helpful for 1.4.40 and 1.10.12.
You may also use the replace, swap, scale, functions to do
elementary row operations for your homework problems for this week.
However, if you do that I need you to print out all the augmented matrices
and state what row operations you are doing, just like you have done for
previous paper and pencil problems. This will take much of the tedium
out of calculations. However, you should still carefully
check you get the correct answers. The matrices for the problems
in Chapter A Section B can be found in the files cAsB.m in the
Data and Programs compressed directory above.
Some Matlab functions you may find useful for the Project
For the project you may find Lay's Matlab functions in gauss.m and bgauss.m
helpful. You may also find the built-in matlab function rref (which produces
a reduced row echelon form) useful. In Matlab type "help rref" to learn
more about the rref function.
Info for Exam One
Exam One will be held Wed Mar 8th and cover Chapter One.
The problems will be very similar to homework problems,
and to things we have discussed in class. In addition to
problems similar to the homework, I will ask you to state
some definitions of concepts we have learned about.
Note that I will be looking for the definition, rather than
a theorem about the concept.
The exam will be out of 75 points. About 55 points
are based on calculations, (but you need to know what calculation
to do!), 10 points on definitions, and 10 points on some of the
more conceptual and/or true/false questions of the type you have done
on the homework.
In the textbook definitions are highlighted in green and
theorems in blue.
You should be able to state the definitions of consistency,
echelon form, pivot position, span of a set of vectors,
definition of product in terms of linear combinations of columns (p41),
linear independence and dependence, linear transformation, 1-1,onto.
You should know and be able to apply the theorems highlighted in blue
in the book, but on this exam I will not ask you to state
any theorems, per se. However some of the problems are designed to test
whether you understand what the theorems are saying by getting you
to use them to solve problems.
Info for Exam Two
Exam One will be held Wed April 12th and cover Sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.3,
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3. Format will be similar to Exam One.
Solutions to Exam One [pdf]
Solutions to Exam Two [pdf]
