Syllabus for Mathematics 254, Intro to Linear Algebra
Spring, 2008

Instructor:  Sean Raleigh (please call me Sean)

E-mail:  sraleigh@sdccd.edu
        E-mail will be the only way to contact me outside of class. On the other hand, math questions are almost always impossible to answer over e-mail, so please restrict those types of questions to class time. I would also ask that you check this syllabus, the FAQ, and other resources on this web site before e-mailing me since most of the common questions are addressed here.

Office:  I have no office on campus so I won't have office hours. I promise to devote lots of class time to going over homework questions so that you won't need additional hours from me. Also, I encourage you to form study groups to work problems and prepare for tests.

Time:  T 6:30 p.m.—9:40 p.m.

Location:  A228

Required Text:  Beezer, A First Course in Linear Algebra
    One of the more interesting aspects of this course is that we are going to use a free textbook. There are several ways to acquire a copy, all of which are explained at the textbook's website, http://linear.ups.edu. I encourage you to browse all the pages of this site to read about the different options available to you. Allow me to discuss briefly some of these options:

1. The easiest way to view the book on your computer is to download one of the PDF files at http://linear.ups.edu/download.html. You may want to try out the different formats to see which one you like best. Be aware of the fact that different formats will have vastly different effects on pagination. (As you'll see, though, we will never need to reference specific page numbers in the course.)
2. You may want to go to a copy center, print out the book, and have it bound.  Many people—myself included—prefer to have a hard copy in front of us when studying. I do not have a good estimate for how much this might cost, but I guarantee it will be less expensive than the $100 or so it would cost to buy one of the standard linear algebra textbooks currently on the market. Be aware that you may have to explain the GNU Free Documentation License (or even print out a copy of it—it's located in Appendix GFDL) to the person assisting you.
3. A relatively cheap and easy option for obtaining a hard copy is to purchase it at http://stores.lulu.com/linearalgebra. (You can see the prices on the website.) I personally opted to pay a little extra and order it in two spiral-bound volumes (as opposed to the single paperback version). It's possible that this option is even cheaper than taking it to a copy center yourself. It's also less work since lulu.com will ship the book straight to your door.

Optional Text:  Lipschutz and Lipson, Schaum's Outline of Linear Algebra
    This is a very inexpensive text (you should be able to get it for around $10 to $15) that has a whole bunch of solved problems to help you practice. It doesn't treat the topics in the same order as the Beezer text, so you may have to hunt around a bit to find problems related to the ones we're doing in class.

Topics Covered:  We will cover nearly everything in the first six chapters of the book (SLE, V, M, VS, D, and E) except section M:FS and section E:SD.

Homework:  Homework is due most Tuesdays—check the schedule for the precise due dates. We will plan to spend the first hour of Tuesdays' lectures working homework problems and answering questions from the assignment. The homework for each week is posted here.
    Homework is graded on completion only. Points are awarded on an "all or nothing" basis. This means that you must at least attempt nearly all the problems to get credit ("nearly all" being subject to my judgment) and if you haven't met this standard, you will get no credit for the assignment. A check mark on your returned homework means that you received credit for the assignment and a "zero" indicates no credit.
    Since individual problems will not be graded, it is your responsibility to make sure you understand the assignment and ask questions about anything that remains unclear after working the assignment. Most of the assigned problems include solutions. This can be a blessing or a curse. The ability to check your work and make sure you are on the right track is invaluable. Nevertheless, the temptation is strong to limit yourself to doing a minimal amount of work and then copying down the answer. Keep in mind that the homework only comprises 10% of the final grade, so its purpose is to help you learn, practice, and reinforce the material you need to perform well on the exams.
    Also, you should make every effort to try to work problems before consulting the included solutions. Imagine what will happen during the tests if you are accustomed to working problems with the solutions right in front of you. I reserve the right to award no credit for any assignment that I deem has been "copied" from the included solutions.
    You will be able to drop one homework assignment from your final grade. There will be no late homework accepted under any circumstances. If you miss class on a day homework is due, that will be the homework assignment you drop. If you miss class again on a homework day, you will earn a zero for that assignment. No exceptions. You can always turn in a homework assignment early if you know you are going to be gone, but I will not accept homework turned in to my campus mailbox.
    Please staple your papers before handing them in. Also, your papers are much easier for me to grade and for you to use as a reference if you keep the problems in the same order in which they are listed in the assignment.

Tests:  There will be two "midterms" and a final exam. With the exception of the 10% contribution of the homework assignments, test performance is the sole indicator for your grade in the course. It is therefore crucial that you keep up with the material and study effectively for tests.

Midterms:  The midterms will be administered on certain Tuesdays (check the schedule) and will cover all the material in the course up through the sections assigned in the homework that is due the week before the midterm. In other words, you will never see material on a midterm until we have had a chance in class to go over the homework in which the necessary material appears. The following chart should make this clear:

Test:	Date:	Study up through section...
Midterm 1:	Tuesday, March 11	V:O (HW5)
Midterm 2:	Tuesday, April 29	VS:PD (HW10)

    While the focus of the second midterm will be the material covered since the first midterm, it is cumulative in that you will be expected to answer questions and utilize concepts from all sections of the book covered in the course up to that point. (This makes studying for the second midterm a bit harder, but you'll thank me as you study for the final.)
    You will have an hour and a half to complete the midterms. You are allowed to use a calculator. For the first midterm, you are allowed one normal-sized piece of paper, both sides, as a "cheat sheet".  For the second midterm, you are allowed two normal-sized pieces of paper, both sides. You are not allowed scratch paper as there will be ample room on the test itself to carry out your work.

Final:  The final exam will be administered on Tuesday, May 20 (the last day of class), and will be completely cumulative. You are allowed to use a calculator and three normal-sized sheets of paper, both sides, for the final exam.

Notation Points:  Each question of each test will have one extra point attached called the "notation point". This point is awarded on an all-or-nothing basis and will only be earned if there are no notational errors in the work shown. This point is completely independent of the remainder of the points for that question, so it you have notational errors that cause mathematical errors, you will lose points from the problem and you will lose the notation point as well. You may even have the correct answer and correct work, but you still could lose the notation point for various things like, for example, a lack of organization, illegible work, or even a misplaced equal sign.

There will be no makeup exams except in the case of an extreme emergency. What constitutes an extreme emergency will be at my discretion and will require some kind of documentation.

Calculators:  You are encouraged to have a graphing calculator, although a graphing calculator is not strictly necessary. Some homework questions will require at least a scientific calculator. You will be allowed to use calculators on tests, but tests will be designed in such a way that calculators will not be necessary or even advantageous. This is because all questions will require you to show all your work and not just the result of a calculation. Be very careful about using your calculator. Too often it becomes a crutch and distracts you from the correct conceptual formulation and algebraic manipulation that leads to the correct answer. As we proceed through the course, I will try to indicate where calculators can be beneficial and also how they might lead you astray.

Grading:  The grade distribution will be as follows:

Your letter grade will initially be based on the following scale:

I say "initially" because I always curve the final grades. However, this won't be a strict bell curve where the majority of the class earns a C with a few A's and a few F's. The ultimate grade distribution will be based on a B-/C+ average with no quotas for any individual letter grade. I reserve the right to shift the curve up or down if I feel that a B-/C+ does not accurately reflect the average performance for the class.  (This holds especially for smaller classes for which the "average" is not as useful a statistic.) Also, you are guaranteed to earn at least the grade indicated on the above scale. So, for example, suppose you get 85% in the class, but the class average is 90%. You will still earn a B in the class and a large percentage of the class will be in the A range.
    At the end of the semester, it's natural to be anxious about your final grade, but it is not practical for me to respond to grade requests. Please use the resources provided by the college to obtain your final grade.

Academic Honesty:  Cheating will not be tolerated. This includes but is not limited to copying homework, using unauthorized materials in a test, looking at someone else's paper during a test, collaborating with another person during a test, and other similar activities. You are all adults and you know what constitutes cheating; therefore, I will never accept an excuse of "I didn't know." If there's any question as to what constitutes cheating, please ask before it becomes a problem. I reserve the right to assess a penalty for cheating as the severity demands. The minimum penalty will be a zero on that particular test or assignment. More likely, though, is that you will receive an F in the class. You will also be reported to the dean for any violation. Having said that, I encourage you to work together on the homework problems (this is not the same thing as copying another's completed homework) and study together for tests.

Attendance:  Attendance is required. I reserve the right to drop anyone from the class for excessive absences. Anyone who does not come at all in the first two weeks of class will be dropped.
    Attendance will not count toward your grade. It is your responsibility to be in class every day and keep up with the material. There will be no makeup exams, so it is also crucial that you check your schedules far in advance and make sure that you're there on test days.

Changes to the syllabus:  I reserve the right to change the syllabus as circumstances necessitate, but no new policy will be enforceable until after you have been notified in class.

Last modified: 01/17/08