Math 18: Linear Algebra

Instructional Staff

We will also have support from the Academic Achievement Hub's Supplemental Instruction. SI Leaders will be embedded in our discussion sections to facilitate active learning, and there will also be separate SI Sessions run through the Teaching + Learning Commons.

Please note: Piazza should be your first stop for any course-related communication with the instructional staff. We ask that when you have a question about the class that might be relevant to other students, you post your question on Piazza instead of emailing us. That way, everyone can benefit from the response. Please only email your instructor/TA in the case of an urgent private matter (relevant to your enrollment in the course).

Class Meetings

In the following scheduled meeting times, physical locations are listed where relevant. Zoom meeting coordinates can be found in Canvas.

	Date	Time	Location
Lecture A00 (Anzaldo) -- used as Office Hours	MWF	11:00am - 11:50am	Remote
Lecture B00 (Dumitriu)	MWF	2:00pm - 2:50pm	JEANN AUD
Discussion A01 (TA: Cinel, SIs: Nguyen, S; Quintanilla)	Th	2:00pm - 2:50pm	APM B412
Discussion A02 (TA: Cinel, SIs: Puneet; Lin)	Th	3:00pm - 3:50pm	APM B412
Discussion A03 (TA: Cinel, SIs: Puneet; Lin)	Th	4:00pm - 4:50pm	APM B412
Discussion A04 (TA: Cinel, SIs: Quintanilla; Shukla)	Th	5:00pm - 5:50pm	Remote
Discussion A05 (TA: Qu, SIs: Venerio; Wells)	Th	1:00pm - 1:50pm	APM B412
Discussion A06 (TA: Qu, SIs: Mahapatra; Wells)	Th	2:00pm - 2:50pm	APM B402A
Discussion B01 (TA: Tiwary, SI: Brueggeman)	Th	12:00pm - 12:50pm	CENTR 205
Discussion B02 (Tiwary, SI: Bruegemann)	Th	1:00pm - 1:50pm	CENTR 205
Discussion B03 (TA: Liao, SI: Venerio)	Th	2:00pm - 2:50pm	CENTR 205
Discussion B04 (TA: Liao, SI: Shukla)	Th	3:00pm - 3:50pm	CENTR 205
Discussion B05 (TA: Orland, SI: Shaalan)	Th	2:00pm - 2:50pm	APM 2301
Discussion B06 (TA: Tiwary, SI: Mosievskiy)	Th	10:00am - 10:50am	APM B402A
Discussion B07 (TA: Wenger, SI: Quach)	Th	4:00pm - 4:50pm	CENTR 205
Discussion B08 (TA: Wenger, SI: Quach)	Th	5:00pm - 5:50pm	CENTR 205
Discussion B09 (TA: Seong, SI: Jewett)	Th	2:00pm - 2:50pm	Remote
Discussion B10 (TA: Seong, SI: Mahapatra)	Th	3:00pm - 3:50pm	Remote
Discussion B11 (TA: Wahlenmayer, SI: Jewett)	Th	10:00am - 10:50am	CENTR 201
Discussion B12 (TA: Zhao, SI: Jewett)	Th	11:00am - 11:50am	CENTR 201
Discussion B13 (TA: Zhao, SI: Quach)	Th	12:00pm - 12:50pm	CENTR 201
Discussion B14 (TA: Zhao, SI: Quach)	Th	1:00pm - 1:50pm	CENTR 201
Discussion B15 (TA: Zhang, SI: Puneet)	Th	2:00pm - 2:50pm	WLH 2110
Discussion B16 (TA: Zhao, SI: Shukla)	Th	2:00pm - 2:50pm	CENTR 201
Discussion B17 (TA: He, SI: Jewett)	Th	3:00pm - 3:50pm	CENTR 201
Discussion B18 (TA: He, SI: Nguyen, Q)	Th	4:00pm - 4:50pm	CENTR 201
Discussion B19 (TA: He, SI: Nguyen, Q)	Th	5:00pm - 5:50pm	CENTR 201
Discussion B20 (TA: He, SI: Nguyen, Q)	Th	6:00pm - 6:50pm	CENTR 201
Discussion B21 (TA: Tiwary, SI: Mosievskiy)	Th	11:00am - 11:50am	APM B402A
Discussion B22 (TA: Zhang, SI: Monther)	Th	4:00pm - 4:50pm	WLH 2110
Discussion B23 (TA: Zhang, SI: Monther)	Th	5:00pm - 5:50pm	WLH 2110
Discussion B24 (TA: Zhang, SI: Monther)	Th	6:00pm - 6:50pm	WLH 2110

Exam Info

	Date	Time	Location
Quiz 1	Tu, April 12	30 minutes between 9am-9pm	Remote (Canvas)
Quiz 2	Tu, April 26	30 minutes between 9am-9pm	Remote (Canvas)
Midterm Exam	Tu, May 3	7:00-8:50pm	A00:  MOS 0113 B00:  PETER 108
Quiz 3	Tu, May 17	30 minutes between 9am-9pm	Remote (Canvas)
Quiz 4	Tu, May 24	30 minutes between 9am-9pm	Remote (Canvas)
Final Exam	Sat, June 4	11:30am - 2:29pm	TBA

Calendar of Course Content

The following calendar is subject to revision during the term. The section references are only a guide; our pace may vary from it somewhat.

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1	Mar 28 1.1 Systems of linear equations	Mar 29	Mar 30 1.2 Row reduction & echelon forms	Mar 31 Discussion	Apr 1 1.3 Vector equations	Apr 2
2	Apr 4 1.4 Matrix equation Ax = b	Apr 5	Apr 6 1.5 Solution sets	Apr 7 Discussion	Apr 8 1.7 Linear independence     MyLab HW 1,2 due Deadline to Add a Course	Apr 9
3	Apr 11 1.8 Linear transformations	Apr 12 Quiz 1	Apr 13 1.9 Linear transformation matrices	Apr 14 Discussion	Apr 15 2.1 Matrix operations     MyLab HW 3 due     MATLAB HW 1 due	Apr 16
4	Apr 18 2.2, 2.3 Inverse of a matrix	Apr 19	Apr 20 4.1 Vector spaces	Apr 21 Discussion	Apr 22 4.2 Null spaces & column spaces                MyLab HW 4 due Deadline to Drop w/o 'W'	Apr 23
5	Apr 25 4.3 Linearly independent sets; bases	Apr 26 Quiz 2	Apr 27 4.5 Dimension, rank	Apr 28 Discussion	Apr 29 4.4 Coordinate systems     MyLab HW 5 due     MATLAB HW 2 due	Apr 30
6	May 2 Catch up & Review	May 3 Midterm 7:00-8:59pm	May 4 4.6 Change of basis	May 5 Discussion	May 6 3.1 Determinants 3.2 Determinant properties     MyLab HW 6 due Deadline to Drop w/ 'W'	May 7
7	May 9 3.2, 3.3 Determinants and volume	May 10	May 11 5.1 Eigenvectors and eigenvalues	May 12 Discussion	May 13 5.2 Characteristic polynomial     MyLab HW 7 due     MATLAB HW 3 due	May 14
8	May 16 5.3 Diagonalization	May 17 Quiz 3	May 18 6.1, 6.7 Inner product, length, orthogonality	May 19 Discussion	May 20 6.2 Orthogonal sets     MyLab HW 8 due	May 21
9	May 23 6.3 Orthogonal projections	May 24 Quiz 4	May 25 6.4 Gram-Schmidt process	May 26 Discussion	May 27 7.1 Spectral Theorem     MyLab HW 9 due     MATLAB HW 4 due	May 28
10	May 30 Memorial Day; no class	May 31	June 1 Catch-up and review	June 2 Discussion        MATLAB QUIZ	Jun 3 Review     MyLab HW 10 due     MATLAB HW 5 due	Jun 4 Final Exam 11:30am-2:29pm

Reading:  Reading the sections of the textbook corresponding to each lecture is critical. Homework, quizzes, and exams will rely on material in the textbook; you are responsible for material in the assigned reading whether or not it is discussed in the lecture.

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Syllabus

Course: Math 18

Title: Linear Algebra

Credit Hours: 4 (Students may not receive credit for both Math 18 and 31AH.)

Prerequisite: Math Placement Exam qualifying score, or AP Calculus AB score of 3 (or equivalent AB subscore on BC exam), or SAT II Math Level 2 score of 650 or higher, or Math 4C, or Math 10A, or Math 20A, or consent of instructor.

Catalog Description: Matrix algebra, Gaussian elimination, determinants, linear and affine subspaces, bases of Euclidean spaces. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, quadratic forms, orthogonal matrices, diagonalization of symmetric matrices. Applications. Computing symbolic and graphical solutions using MATLAB. See the UC San Diego Course Catalog.

Textbook: Linear Algebra and its Applications (6th Edition), by David C. Lay, Steven R. Lay, and Judi J. McDonald; published by Pearson (Addison Wesley).

Subject Material: We will cover parts of chapters 1-7 of the text.

Lecture: Attending the lecture in-person or viewing the lecture podcast or YouTube recording asynchronously, is a fundamental part of the course; you are responsible for material presented in the lecture whether or not it is discussed in the textbook.  You should expect questions on the exams that will test your understanding of concepts discussed in the lecture.

Discussion Sections: Discussion sections will be highly interactive. You will work in small groups on concept check and challenging exercises, to cement your understanding of core ideas from the course, and build a community of learning in this large class. Attendance of discussion sections is required, which means you must attend the section you are officially enrolled in. To gain full participation credit for the course, you must attend at least 8 out of the 10 discussion sections during the quarter.

Homework: Homework is a very important part of the course and in order to fully master the topics it is essential that you work carefully on every assignment and try your best to complete every problem. Weekly homework is assigned through MyLab, accessible in Canvas. Unless otherwise stated, you have unlimited attempts on each homework problem. All problems completed before the due date will receive full credit. You may continue to work on problems you did not complete before the deadline, for 50% credit until the end of the quarter. Your total homework score will be based on all the total possible homework points available; no homework assignment scores will be dropped at the end of the quarter.

MATLAB: In applications of linear algebra, the theoretical concepts that you will learn in lecture are used together with computers to solve large scale problems.  Thus, in addition to your written homework, you will be required to do homework using the computer language MATLAB.  The Math 18 MATLAB Assignments page contains all information relevant to the MATLAB component of Math 18.

Quizzes: There will be four quizzes, in Weeks 3, 5, 8, and 9; see above for the dates. Each quiz will have a 30 minute time limit. You will take it remotely, any time in a 12-hour window (from 9am-9pm, Pacific Time), through Canvas.

Exams: The midterm exam and final exam are scheduled for the Tuesday of Week 6 and the first Saturday of exam week; see above for details. Both the midterm and the final exam are planned to take place in-person; this may change depending on UC San Diego policy and the public health situation at the time. More information will follow closer to these exams about precise logistics and policies.

Exam Versions: In cases of legitimate, well-documented, and unavoidable conflicts, there may be different versions of exams given, whether in-person or remote, synchronous or asynchronous. All versions of any exam will cover the same topics and will be calibrated to the same level of difficulty.

Collaboration Guidelines: You are allowed and even encouraged to collaborate with other students in the MyLab homework and MATLAB assignments. It is up to your own best judgment to make sure you are learning the material through those collaborations. No collaboration is allowed on quizzes or exams. Moreover, "homework assistance" online sites such as Chegg are NEVER allowed for use in this class on homework, quizzes, or exams. Any use of Chegg or similar services will be considered serious Academic Integrity violations.

Academic Integrity: In this course, and in your life as a UC San Diego student, we expect you to Excel with Integrity, and to adhere to the UC San Diego Integrity of Scholarship Policy.

Why? Math 18 is a core, foundational course for a wide variety of other mathematics, engineering, and physical science courses. This class is designed to aid your mastery of this important material, for its own sake and for the sake of your learning in all the further courses that rely heavily upon it. Every course component in Math 18 is formulated to cement your understanding, verify what you've mastered, and let us and you know where you need to prioritize your time and energy reviewing. All of our course policies around academic integrity are meant to make sure you are getting the best, most accurate information about your learning in this course. Any students who choose to violate our integrity policies are not just being unfair to their peers; they are ultimately cheating themselves out of a solid foundation in linear algebra.

That means we’re all in this together and we actually want the same thing. You, your peers, and the instructional team all want a class that has academic integrity. We want to be able to trust one another, and we want grades to be fair and honest reflections of learning. How can you ensure this type of environment is created in Math 18? Here are some specific examples:

• Do not use, or post to "homework help" services such as Chegg. Do not post solutions to homework, quiz, or exam problems in any public forum (such as Piazza).
• Do not collaborate on or copy quizzes or exams. (There will be specific instructions about what that means in an Academic Integrity Pledge at the beginning of each quiz or exam.)
• Do not use any apps or sites that do the math for you, or connect you with people who will do the math for you. This will not aid in your learning.
• Do not attempt to search for solutions to homework, quiz, or exam problems online or in sources outside of the course content. If you accidentally stumble upon a publicly available solution, you should notify your TA and instructor.

We are aware that the temptation to inappropriately collaborate, or use disallowed resources, is especially high right now during this period of remote/hybrid instruction. We urge you to remember that your integrity is worth more than any advantage you might hope to gain. We will (unfortunately) have to use all tools at our disposal to detect any academic integrity violations, for which there is a zero-tolerance policy. Penalties for these offenses always include assignment of a failing grade in the course, along with administrative sanctions, including up to suspension and dismissal from UC San Diego. Both failing grades and the administrative penalties could impact your ability to get into a capped major or be admitted into graduate or professional schools. Maintain your integrity, and don't risk major consequences to your career at UC San Diego and beyond.

Grading Policies: Your total grade in this course will be determined by the following components.

• 2% Discussion Section participation based on on-time, full attendance of at least 8 discussion sections
• 5% MATLAB Assignments based on the best 4 of your 5 assignments
• 5% MATLAB Quiz
• 20% MyLab Homework
• 15% Quizzes based on the best 3 of your 4 quizzes
• 20% Midterm Exam
• 33% Final Exam

Your letter grade will be determined by your cumulative average at the end of the term and will be based on the following scale:

A+	A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-
97	93	90	87	83	80	77	73	70

The above scale is guaranteed: for example, if your cumulative average is 80, your final grade will be at least B-. However, we may adjust the above scale to be more generous.

Missed quiz/exam policy: There will be no make-up midterms or quizzes; however, by design, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. Nevertheless: you should make every effort to write the quizzes; this policy is meant only to accommodate true emergencies.

There will be no make-up final exam. If you miss the final exam, you will be assigned a score of 0 on that component of the class. If you have a conflict with the scheduled final exam time, you should not enroll in Math 18 this quarter. If an unexpected emergency or crisis prevents you from attending the final exam at the end of the quarter, and if you are in passing standing in the class at that time, you may be eligible for an Incomplete grade that will allow you to take the final exam at a later date. The circumstances under which Incompletes can be granted are tightly controlled by the university.

Here are two links regarding UC San Diego policies on exams:

• Exam Responsibilities  An outline of the responsibilities of faculty and students with regard to final exams
• Policies on Examinations  The Academic Senate policy regarding final examinations (These are the rules!)

Regrade Policy: Your quizzes will be graded automatically by Canvas; your exams and MATLAB homework will be graded using Gradescope. If you find errors in grading, you will have an opportunity to request a regrade. A regrade window will be open three days after the scores are posted, and it will stay open for 60 hours. During this time window you will be able to leave careful, thoughtful comments about where you feel a grading error was made. No regrade requests will be considered after the specified window closes. Please note: any regrade request may result in regrading of the entire assignment, and your overall score could go up or down.

Administrative Deadline: Your scores for all graded work will be posted in Gradescope and in Canvas. It is your responsibility to check your scores and contact your TA before the end of Week 10 to resolve recording errors. Questions regarding missing or incorrectly recorded scores will not be considered after the last day of instruction.

Considerate Conduct: Here are a few of our expectations for etiquette in and out of class.

• Entering/exiting class: Please arrive on time and stay for the entire class/section period. If, despite your best efforts, you arrive late, please enter quietly through the rear door and take a seat near where you entered. Similarly, in the rare event that you must leave early (e.g. for a medical appointment), please sit close to the rear exit and leave as unobtrusively as possible.
• Noise and common courtesy: When class/section begins, please stop your conversations. Wait until class/section is over before putting your materials away in your backpack, standing up, or talking to friends. Do not disturb others by engaging in disruptive behavior. Disruption interferes with the learning environment and impairs the ability of others to focus, participate, and engage.
• Electronic devices: Please do not use devices (such as phones, laptops, and tablets) for non-class-related matters while in class/section. No visual or audio recording is allowed in class/section without prior permission of the instructor.
• Messaging etiquette: You are expected to write as you would in any professional correspondence. E-mail, Piazza, and other written communication should be courteous and respectful in manner and tone. Please do not send/post messages that are curt or demanding.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: We are committed to fostering a learning environment for this course that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, and experiences, and respects your identities, including race, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sex, class, sexuality, religion, ability, age, educational background, etc. Our goal is to create a diverse, inclusive, and empowering learning environment where all students feel comfortable and can thrive.

Our instructional staff will make a concerted effort to be welcoming and inclusive to the wide diversity of students in this course. If there is a way we can make you feel more included please let one of the course staff know, either in person, via email/discussion board, or even in a note under the door. Our learning about diverse perspectives and identities is an ongoing process, and we welcome your perspectives and input.

We also expect that you, as a student in this course, will honor and respect your classmates, abiding by the UC San Diego Principles of Community. Please understand that others’ backgrounds, perspectives and experiences may be different than your own, and help us to build an environment where everyone is respected and feels comfortable.

If you experience any sort of harassment or discrimination, please contact the instructor as soon as possible. If you prefer to speak with someone outside of the course, please contact the Office of Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination.

Students with Disabilities: We aim to create an environment in which all students can succeed in this course. If you have a disability, please contact the Office for Students with Disability (OSD), which is located in University Center 202 behind Center Hall, to discuss appropriate accommodations right away. We will work to provide you with the accommodations you need, but you must first provide a current Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter issued by the OSD. You are required to present your AFA letters to faculty (please make arrangements to contact your instructor privately) and to the OSD Liaison in the Math Department (Holly Proudfoot, hproudfood@ucsd.edu) in advance so that accommodations may be arranged. You will find more information here.

Basic Needs and Food Insecurities: If you are experiencing any basic needs insecurities (food, housing, financial resources), there are resources available on campus to help, including The Hub and the Triton Food Pantry. Please visit here to for more information.

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