Math 231 Linear Algebra Fall 2004

Syllabus and Course Policies

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Instructor: Dr. Iyad Abu-Jeib

Office: 109 Fenton Hall

Office Phone: 673-4757

Office Hours: MWF 3:30-4:30 pm, T 1:00-3:00 pm.

E-mail: abu-jeib@cs.fredonia.edu

Website: http://www.cs.fredonia.edu/~abu-jeib/

Meeting Times:

MWF 2:00 - 3:10 Fenton 180.

Textbook: Introductory Linear Algebra: An Application-Oriented First Course, 8/E, by Bernard Kolman and David R. Hill, Prentice Hall, 2005.

Topics (not necessarily in order):

Thorough treatment of linear algebraic systems. Matrix algebra; determinants; vector spaces; linear independence; basis and dimension; inner product spaces; least squares approximation; eigenvalues and eigenvectors; diagonalization. Selected applications to physics, economics, geometry, statistics, and differential equations.

Prerequisite: MATH 121 or 123; MATH 210 recommended.

Calculator: TI-89 is strongly recommended.

Grading:

  1. Two hour exams and a comprehensive final. Each hour exam will consist 15% of your course grade. The final will consist 25% of the course grade.
  2. Assignments. The assignments will consist 15% of your course grade.
  3. Quizzes. The quizzes will consist 20% of the course grade.
  4. Attendance. Attendance will consist 10% of the course grade. Here is the attendance policy:
  1. You'll be allowed to miss at most 3 classes with no documented acceptable excuse.
  2. Any class you miss after the first 3 classes described above will result in deducting 2% of your course grade. This applies until the 10% portion of the course grade assigned for attendance is consumed.
  3. If the student does not have satisfactory attendance, the student may not be notified, but I'll take a note of that and keep it in my records until I assign the course grades at the end of the semester.
  4. You must be on time. You must not leave before the class ends. Repeated late arrival or early departure may be considered as absence.
  5. Excusable absence must be documented and must be inline with the college's policy about that. You must inform me in advance if you intend to miss class for a legitimate reason such as death in the family (with a proof) and illness (with a doctor's report). Absences for family gatherings or family problems or to catch a flight or because of another course, etc, are not considered excusable absences.

Remark: There is a possibility (don't take that for granted) that I may not include attendance in the course grade. If that is the case, the 10% portion of the course grade that is assigned for attendance will go for the exams.

Attendance: Attendance is required (see above). You are responsible for material presented in class and for announcements announced in class. If you miss a class, it’s your responsibility to ask about the material covered in the class you missed and about the announcements announced that day. Make ups of exams/quizzes/worksheets are allowed only if you have a documented hardship. Late assignments won’t be accepted. Any measure to improve your grades (like extra-credit, extra points, and dropping a quiz/assignment (if happened)) may apply only to students who have satisfactory attendance.

Note: What’s stated above does not mean that I’ll give you extra-credit work or extra points or drop a quiz/assignment. I may do one of them or more of them or none.

Incomplete: Incomplete grade will be given only if you meet the university guidelines for incomplete.

Grading Scale: 92-100: A, 90-91: A-, 88-89: B+, 82-87: B, 80-81: B-, 78-79: C+, 72-77: C, 70-71: C-, 68-69: D+, 62-67: D, 60-61: D-, < 60: E.

Behavior: Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated and may result in very severe consequences. Any behavior that may result in disturbing the class, students, or the professor, is inappropriate behavior. That includes (among others) repeated late arrival to class, not paying attention to the lecture, leaving early without informing the professor in advance and without having an acceptable excuse, reading a newspaper or something related or not related to class, talking to other students, sleeping, doing something not related to the course like working on a homework (even if it is for our class), reading a book (even if it is our textbook), using the calculator, etc. I reserve the right to consider inappropriate behavior as inexcusable absence. In addition, a student may be expelled from class the day he/she commits inappropriate behavior and even may be for the entire semester. Other and more severe actions are possible.

Remarks:

  1. I may assign extra work to do for bonus points or do something else to improve your grades. Such work (if assigned) will be optional.
  2. If you need help, please do not hesitate to ask for it. My job is to help you understand the material and succeed. I’ll be extremely happy to answer your questions and to assist you.
  3. If you have a hardship, please let me know in advance.
  4. I’ll be extremely happy to get a feedback from you about my teaching style and the level of difficulty of the exams and the assignments. We have to work together to make improvements if such improvements are needed. You can provide me with feedback directly or indirectly (by leaving a note underneath my office door or using the teaching feedback form on my website).
  5. You must do your assignments by yourself. Do NOT work in pairs or in groups.
  6. I may cover material not available in the textbook. You are responsible for such material and for everything I mention in class.
  7. I may not grade all the assignments and I may not grade all the questions in the assignment I decide to grade.
  8. Check your Fredonia email daily. I may contact you any day by email.
  9. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated.
  10. The syllabus is subject to change.
  11. Bring your Fredonia ID to the exams and the quizzes.
  12. See also the Master Syllabus for MATH 231.