MATH 235: Linear Algebra

Instructor

Mark Herman
E-mail: mherman4 at ur dot rochester dot edu
Lectures: MTWR 9:00-11:15am in Hylan 203 and live-stream on zoom. Find zoom link in blackboard.
Office Hours: I am usually available right after class. Available other times by appointment.

Textbook

Linear Algebra (5th edition) by Friedberg, Insel and Spence.

Course Description

This course is meant to create tools for proof writing and abstract thinking. Vector spaces are very important in most areas of mathematics, and they are simple although powerful and beautiful. In this course, we will learn about vector spaces, subspaces, linear transformations, matrices and how to use them to solve linear systems of equations, bases and dimension, isomorphisms, nullspace and rank, diagonalizability, Gram-Schmidt Orthogonalization process, and more (see schedule for more information about this).

Course Content

See the course schedule for details.

Prerequisites

MATH 165. MATH 200 is recommended.

Grades

There will be weekly homework assigned through Gradescope, plus a midterm and a final. Your final grade will be computed as follows:

Homework 30%
Midterm 30%
Final Exam 40%

Incomplete “I” grades are almost never given. The only justification is a documented serious medical problem or a genuine personal/family emergency. Falling behind in this course or problems with workload on other courses are not acceptable reasons.

Exams

  • Midterm
    • Day: Thursday, July 18
    • Time/Place: 9:00-10:20AM in class
    • Exam Coverage: Sections 1.1-2.5 in text.

Rules: No calculators or electronic devices are permitted. No notes or texts are permitted.


  • Final Exam
    • Day: Thursday, Aug 8
    • Time/Place: 9:00AM-12:00PM in class

Makeup exams are typically not offered. If you have exceptional circumstances discuss it with your instructor and provide documentation verifying the situation. The Final exam is cumulative and cannot replace a midterm.

Homework

Homework will be due Wednesday and Friday afternoons at 1pm in most weeks, starting on July 3. Homework is submitted on gradescope, an online grading platform. Instructions for submitting on gradescope can be found on the homework rules page:

Your lowest homework score will be dropped.

Academic honesty

All assignments and activities associated with this course must be performed in accordance with the University of Rochester’s Academic Honesty Policy. More information is available at: www.rochester.edu/college/honesty.

In this class, you are encouraged to discuss homework with each other, but your work must be your own, and you may not copy someone else’s answers. The detailed policy on homework collaboration can be found on the Homework Rules page.

Also, be aware of the Dept. of Mathematics policy on unauthorized online resources: Any usage whatsoever of online solution sets or paid online resources (chegg.com or similar) is considered an academic honesty violation and will be reported to the Board on Academic Honesty. In particular, any assignment found to contain content which originated from such sources is subject to a minimum penalty of zero on the assignment and a full letter grade reduction at the end of the semester (e.g. a B would be reduced to a C). This applies even if the unauthorized content was obtained through indirect means (through a friend for instance) and/or the student is seemingly unaware that the content originated from such sources. If you have any questions about whether resources are acceptable, please check with your instructor.

Disability Support

The University of Rochester respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds and abilities. In the event you encounter any barrier(s) to full participation in this course due to the impact of disability, please contact the Office of Disability Resources. The access coordinators in the Office of Disability Resources can meet with you to discuss the barriers you are experiencing and explain the eligibility process for establishing academic accommodations. You can reach the Office of Disability Resources at: (585) 275-3424; Taylor Hall. Or, visit Disability Resources.

All exam accommodation requests and arrangements must be discussed/finalized with the professor at least one week in advance of each exam. We are unable to accommodate last-minute requests.

College Credit-Hour Policy

This course follows the College credit hour policy for four-credit courses. This course meets 3 academic hours per week. Students may also be expected to deepen their understanding of the course material through close examination/evaluation of the readings assigned in the course.