Math 220: Linear Algebra
Block B, 2015
Professor: David Brown
Office: TSC 206E
Office Phone: 227-8215
Email: dbrownATcoloradocollegeDOTedu
The class will meet M-F at 9:00 am in TSC 229.
There will be a problem session M-F 1:30 – 3:00 pm.
The textbook is: Linear Algebra and its Applications (5th ed), by David Lay et al.
The course webpage is: http://faculty1.coloradocollege.edu/~dbrown/ma220/index.html
Linear algebra is one of the most elegant and useful
areas of mathematics. Without it,
airplanes would fall out of the sky, Google wouldn’t work, and
my wife couldn’t analyze the personalities of monkeys. Studying linear algebra will help you
learn to think like a mathematician, combining straightforward
calculations with intuition, visualization, abstraction, and
rigorous proof. We’ll start from a
seemingly trivial problem – how to solve a set of linear
equations. From there we will
develop concepts and techniques that lie at the heart of
virtually every area of applied mathematics.
Homework will be due each several times each week at 4:30 pm (see daily schedule); please turn it in to the homework boxes in the lobby of the math department. Please make sure that your HW is stapled and that each problem is clearly labeled and readable. The assignments will be posted on the class webpage; only the indicated problems are to be turned in. I strongly recommend that you work on the other problems also, since they will prepare you for the tests. You can use technology such as calculators and Mathematica on any homework problem. However, note that you won’t be able to use anything more advanced than a pencil on the tests, so it is a good idea to practice some problems by hand.
There will be two tests, and approximately 4 quizzes (all closed book). You will be expected to attend every class, and participate actively in within-class individual and group work.
Your grade will be based on the following breakdown: 30% homework, 25% each test, 10% quizzes, and 10% class participation.