MTH 309 (Spring 2012): Introduction to Linear Algebra (sections W and Y)


Instructor: Hanfeng Li

Office: 104 Mathematics Building.     Phone: 645-8762.

Office Hours:  M, W 11am-12pm.

Email: hfli@math.buffalo.edu

Course Page: http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~hfli/teaching/309/309spring12.html

Lectures: TR 11am-12:20pm (Section W)  2-3:20pm (Section Y)         
Room:
107 Talbert Hall (Section W) 205 Natural Sciences Complex (Section Y).

Textbook: Lay,  Linear Algebra & Its Applicaions (4th edition or 2nd UB customized edition, they are identical).

TA's Recitations (Starting from January 24)
Section W1: T 1:00-1:50pm,  213 Obrian Hall.
Section W2: R 1:00-1:50pm,  212 Obrian Hall.
Section W3: R 3:00-3:50pm,  216 Norton Hall.
Section Y1: T 4:00-4:50pm,  228 Natural Sciences Complex.
Section Y2: R 4:00-4:50pm,  104 Knox Hall.
Section Y3: T 5:00-5:50pm,  216 Norton Hall.

TA
 Eric Echard                   Sections W1, W2
 David Peterson              Section W3, Y1, Y2
 Austin Anuta-Darling     Section Y3

Math Help Center
Graduate students will be at Rooms 110 of the mathematics building to answer any math questions you might have. The Center will open on Monday, Jan 30. Hours are 9am-4pm.

Course Description
Linear equations, matrices, determinants, vector spaces, linear mappings, inner products, eigenvalues, eigenvectors.

Text To Be Covered (Outline)
Chapter 1: 1-9.       Chapter 2: 1-3, 8-9.      Chapter 3: 1-2.     Chapter 4: 1-7.      Chapter 5: 1-5.      Chapter 6:1-4, 7.      Chapter 7: 1-2.

Lecture schedule

Prerequisite
MTH 142 or MTH 192 or CSE 192 with grade C or higher.

Groupwork
There will be several 10-minute in-lecture groupwork. Everyone must hand in his/her own solution, which counts towards the final grade. 

Homework
Homework will be assigned every Thursday, except those weeks with term tests, and will be due at the beginning of the recitaion section one week later.  There will be totally 11 homework assignments. 
          Only selected problems will be graded, depending on the availability of the grader.

Homework Assignments

Exams
10-minute in-recitation quizzes will be given.  The quiz problems are selected from the homework. There will be totally 5 quizzes (see the Lecture Schedule for time).

There will be three 80-min in-lecture term tests:
Term Test 1: Tuesday, February 14.
Term Test 2: Thursday, March 22.
Term Test 3: Thursday, April 26.
Most of the term test problems are similar to those in the homework.

No final exam. Calculators are not allowed in quizzes and term tests.

Late Policy
No late homework will be accepted. No make-up quizzes.

Grading Policy
The 3 lowest homework grades and the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. In other words, we shall count only your best 8 homework and best 4 quizzes.

Your final grade will be determined by:
Groupwork: 10%     Homework: 20%      Quizzes: 10%      Term tests: each 20%

Disabilities
If you have a diagnosed disability (physical, learning or psychological) which will make it difficult to carry out the course work as outlined, or requires accomodations such as recruiting note takers, readers, or extended time on exams and/or assignment, please advise me during the first two weeks of the course so we may review possible arrangements for reasonable accomodations.

Important Dates
Monday, Jan 23         Last day to drop the course - no record appears on transcript.
Tuesday, Jan 24         Last day to file "Petition to make up an Incomplete" with the math department.
Friday, Mar 30           Last day to RESIGN from the course - an "R" appears on transcript.

Making Up Incompletes
To make up an Incomplete in a math course you must:

1) Not re-register for the course -- you are making up an incomplete in your original course.

2) Appear in person at the Mathematics Building, Room 233, ask for Patti Wieclaw and ask her to initiate an incomplete petition form for you.

3) Sign the petition.

4) a) If your original instructor determined that the work was to be completed with him/her, take the approved petition form to your original instructor for signature.
    b) If your original instructor determined that the work was to be completed by repeating the course, take the approved petition form to me for signature.

5. Return the petition form to Patti Wieclaw in Rm. 233 Math Bldg. by the last day to add - Tuesday, January 24.

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