Linear Algebra 1600B (Winter 2009/2010)

Please check this course web page and the exercises page regularly for announcements and updates.

Quiz and exam marks (midterm and final exam) are available on WebCT. The weighting scheme is explained below.

Section 001 Section 002
Instructor Matthias Franz Samuel Isaacson
Office MC 134 MC 135
Phone extension 86540 86527
E-mail (both at uwo dot ca) mfranz sisaacso
Office hours Mon 2:30-3:30, Thu 2:00-3:00 Tue 3:00-4:00, Wed 3:00-4:00
Help centres Mon 2:30-3:30 MC 105B, Tue 4:30-5:30 MC 108, Wed 4:30-5:30 MC 107, Fri 10:30-11:30 MC 106
Help centres start on Jan 6 and end on Apr 9. Students from any section can go to any help centre.
Class times MWF 12:30-1:30 MWF 11:30-12:30
Class location B&GS 0153 NCB 113
Tutorials 1 hour per week. The TA reviews material from the course and answers questions, and the tutorials also include quizzes (see below). You must attend the tutorial you are registered for (see your schedule).
003Thu 1:30P&AB 36
004Thu 12:30MC 105B
005Thu 2:30SS 2032
006Thu 10:30TH 4185
007Wed 10:30KB K208
008Wed 9:30UC 202
Course outline Properties and applications of vectors; matrix algebra; solving systems of linear equations; determinants; vector spaces; independence; orthogonality; eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Link to UWO course calendar.
Textbook Contemporary Linear Algebra, by Anton and Busby. Wiley.
Student Solutions Manual For Contemporary Linear Algebra, by Anton and Busby. Wiley. (Recommended.)
You can buy them separately, or get both together for a good price. Both are available at the bookstore. It should be easy to find used copies as well. There is also a list of errata for the text.
Prerequisites One or more of Ontario Secondary School MCV4U, the former Ontario Secondary School MGA4U, Mathematics 1229A/B, the former Mathematics 017a/b, Calculus 1100A/B, or Calculus 1000A/B (formerly 050a/b) taken as a pre- or co-requisite.
Antirequisites Applied Mathematics 1411A/B (formerly 025a/b), 2811B (formerly 213b).
Web page This page is available at http://www.math.uwo.ca/~mfranz/courses/2009_1600b/, where you should also check for course announcements. WebCT will not be used much except for the handouts, and contains a link to this page.
Quizzes There will be 10 quizzes throughout the year, during the tutorials, during the weeks shown below. The questions on the quizzes will be based on the recommended homework questions and will cover the material up to and including what was covered on Monday's lecture.
Jan 6-7no quizzes
Jan 13-14quiz 1
Jan 20-21quiz 2
Jan 27-28quiz 3
Feb 3-4quiz 4
Feb 10-11quiz 5
Feb 17-18no tutorials    
Feb 24-25no quizzes
Mar 3-4quiz 6
Mar 10-11quiz 7
Mar 17-18quiz 8
Mar 24-25quiz 9
Mar 31-Apr 1quiz 10
Apr 7-8no quizzes
The tutorials do run Jan 6-7, Feb 24-25 and Apr 7-8, and the TA will use the full time for going over course material and answering questions.
Midterm exam Sat Feb 27, 2:00-5:00 p.m., in NS 1. It will cover the first four chapters of the textbook with the same omissions as for the quizzes.
Final exam Thu Apr 15, 9:00 am-noon, in NS 1. It will cover all the material from the course. See below for how conflicts are handled.
Evaluation Quizzes: 20%, midterm: 30%, final exam: 50%. If the final exam grade is better than the midterm grade, then the weighting is as follows: quizzes: 20%, midterm: 20%, final exam: 60%. For the quizzes, the lowest two scores will be dropped. (The previously announced 11th quiz counts as if it had been written and received full marks.)

What is expected of the student

The aim of the course is for you to learn the techniques of linear algebra and to gain an understanding of the concepts on which the techniques are based. To accomplish this, it will be necessary to attend all classes and tutorials, do all of the suggested exercises, and keep up to date with the material.

You are expected to read the text ahead of time to prepare for each lecture. The instructor will assume you have looked over the material before the lecture. You should also do the recommended exercises as the material is being covered, and then do them again before quizzes and exams.

This course covers a lot of material, and is cumulative (much more than other courses!), so it will be necessary to work hard throughout the term in order to do well.

Quizzes and exams

For quizzes and exams, questions will be similar to the recommended exercises. The best way to prepare is to do all of those exercises, plus as many additional questions as you can. You should also study the text and your lecture notes, so you understand the concepts behind the problems you are solving.

Missed quiz, midterm or final exam

Remember that the lowest two quiz grades are dropped, to take into account absences for unforeseen reasons.

If you know ahead of time that you are unable to attend a quiz, midterm or final exam, you must let your instructor know at least two weeks in advance so alternative arrangements can be made. For final exam conflicts, see below.

For absence due to flu-like symptoms, please follow the instructions given by the online reporting system.

If you are unable to attend a quiz, midterm or final exam due to illness or other serious circumstances, you must provide valid medical or other supporting documentation to the Dean's office as soon as possible and contact your instructor immediately. It is the student's responsibility to make alternative arrangements with their instructor. For further information please see this link and the Student Services web site.

A student requiring academic accommodation due to illness should bring a Student Medical Certificate with them when visiting an off-campus medical facility and use a Record Release Form for visits to Student Health Services. Hard copies of both of these forms are available from your home Faculty Academic Counselling Service.

If a quiz is missed and sufficient documentation is provided, the grade for that quiz will be reweighted to the other quizzes. If an exam is missed and sufficient documentation is provided, a make-up exam will be offered.

Failure to follow these rules may result in a grade of zero.

Final exam conflicts

Please see the University's policy on final exam conflicts. Here are the first two paragraphs:
A student who is scheduled to write more than two examinations in any 23-hour period may request alternative arrangements through the office of the dean of their faculty.

A student who is scheduled to write two examinations concurrently must notify the Registrar so that arrangements may be made for both examinations to be written in the Examination Conflict Room in a sequence established by the Registrar.

Please also let your instructor know about the conflict, and read the entire University policy.

Academic offences

Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the official policy.

A note to all students from the office of the Dean of the Faculty of Science

You are responsible for ensuring that you have successfully completed all course prerequisites and that you have not taken an antirequisite course. Lack of prerequisites may not be used as the basis of appeal. If you are not eligible for a course, you may be removed from it at any time, and will receive no adjustment to your fees. These decisions cannot be appealed.

If you do not have the course prerequisites, and have not been granted a special permission to take the course by the department, it is in your best interest to drop the course well before the end of the add period. Your prompt attention to this matter will not only help protect your record, but will ensure that spaces become available for students who require this course for graduation.


Matthias Franz, 2010-06-08