Math 20F Linear Algebra

Math 20F (Linear Algebra) - Winter 2004

Important links: What is Linear Algebra? Schedule and Homework Lab Homework

Professor: CRISTIAN D. POPESCU ¤ Lectures: MWF 8:00-8:50am, in CENTR 115
Office Hours: Mo. & We. 9:00-10:30am, in AP&M 6256.
Office: AP&M 6256; Phone: 858-534-6297; E-mail: cpopescu@math.ucsd.edu

Tuesday discussion sections (A01-06) meet in WLH 2114, 8:00am - 1:00pm.
Your Thursday lab section meets in AP&M - B432 (A50-51) and respectively CLICS - NW MEZZ (A52-55), at the same time as your Tuesday discussion section.

TA	Sections	Lab Room	Office	Office Hours
Anthony Shaheen	A01 (8:00am); A06 (1:00pm) WLH 2114	A50 (8:00am)AP&M(B337) A55(1:00pm)CLICS(NWMezz)	AP&M 2202 ashaheen@math.ucsd.edu	T 2:10-3:40; Th 2:10-3:40.
Caleb Emmons	A03 (10:00am); A04(11:00am) WLH 2114	A52(10:00am)CLICS(NWMezz) A53(11:00am)CLICS(NWMezz)	AP&M 2202 cemmons@math.ucsd.edu	M 12:30-2:30; W 10:30-12:00.

TEXT: Steven J. Leon, Linear Algebra with Applications, 6th ed. (Prentice Hall)
You are expected to read the text BEFORE each lecture.

EXAMS

Midterm I - Friday, January 30, 8:00am, CENTR 115. Review: Th., Jan 29, 5:00pm, CENTR 215. Click HERE for a sample midterm 1 with answers (Winter 2003, Prof. S. Buss). Click HERE for the solutions to Midterm I.
Midterm II - Friday, February 27, 8:00am, CENTR 115. Review: Th., Feb. 26, 6:00pm, SOLIS 107. Click HERE for the solutions to Midterm II.
Final Exam - Monday, March 15; 8-11am, CENTR 115.
No notes, textbooks, calculators are allowed during exams. No make-up exams will be given. Cheating on an exam results in 0 points for that exam as well as further disciplinary action.

GRADING POLICY

Midterms 1+2: 20% each; Final 35%; Text HW 15%; Lab. HW 10%. The grading will be done on a curve, the median corresponding to a B-/C+.

GETTING HELP

Help with Mathematical Problems:

Section: Ask questions in section --- that's one of the main reasons sections exist.
Office Hours: Professor and TA office hours exist so students can get help.
OASIS
Classmates: Sometimes a classmate can help. Sometimes you can learn by working things out together.

Help if Personal Problems Affect Work: Talk to the professor or, if appropriate, your college provost.

Prof. Strang, who has written a text on linear algebra, has a variety of material from his MIT course on linear algebra here.

WHAT IS LINEAR ALGEBRA?

Linear algebra is a collection of ideas and methods related to linear equations. It is an important tool in mathematics and statistics and in many areas of science and engineering. In some areas, linear algebra is more important than calculus and, in others, it is intertwined with calculus. It seems to be a fact of life that widespread application requires abstraction in mathematics (even "number" is an abstraction---"things" exist but numbers don't) and science (compare modern physics with physics in the time of Kepler and Galileo). Linear algebra is no exception: Its concepts and methods are rather abstract. This requires you learn the language involved. You will probably find that over half the battle with most 20F problems is understanding what is being asked. Because of the new concepts, this course appears to move at a faster pace than the calculus courses. To really understand tools, we must use them to work problems. All but the smallest linear algebra problems require considerable calculation. Thus, computers are an essential adjunct to linear algebra. That is why we have the Matlab sessions on Thursdays.

A Few of the Many Applications of Linear Algebra

Subject Area	Application
philosophy	modelling the concept of space (and time)
physics	laws for elementary particles
economics	input-output analysis (used in planning)
software	computer graphics
engineering	Fourier series
pure math.	approximating curved manifolds
applied math.	numerical solution of partial differential equations