The secret to doing well is to attend class and to read the book. You should read each section before we talk about it in class, then again after class, before doing the homework for the section. If you have any trouble understanding it, read it several times, first, quickly for an overall idea what the section is about, then in detail, working out the examples the book uses to make sure you know why each statement is true. Only after this should you start the homework. You may be pleasantly surprised how much easier the homework is with this sort of preparation. You will certainly understand the material and retain more of it, if you study in this way.
Special attention will be paid to the quality of the writing you turn in. Mathematics consists of logical relations between ideas, not just calculations. Understanding and explaining the logical relationships will make your work easier to do and easier to understand for those who read it.
There will be weekly quizzes each Friday, of about 10 minutes duration, which will help you assess your understanding of the material. The best 10 of these (out of 14) will be counted toward your final grade. If a test is given on a Friday, the quiz will be on Wednesday that week.
Grades will be computed as follows:
| Test 1 | 25 % |
| Test 2 | 25 % |
| Quizzes | 15 % |
| Final | 35 % |
Here is a schedule, subject to change, of the exams and the material we will cover.
| Chapter 1 | Vectors, matrices, and linear systems |
| Chapter 2 | Dimension, rank, and linear transformations |
| Test 1 | Monday, October 11 |
| Chapter 3 | Vector spaces |
| Chapter 4 | Determinants |
| Chapter 5 | Eigenvalues and eigenvectors |
| Test 2 | Friday, November 12 |
| Chapter 6 | Orthogonality |
| Chapter 7 | Basis change |
| Final Exam | Tuesday, December 21, |
| 8:00 - 10:30 AM, 114 State Hall |