Course syllabus

Instructor: Gantumur Tsogtgerel

Course: MATH 20F

Title: Linear Algebra 

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisite: MATH 20C (or MATH 21C) or equivalent with a grade of C or better. It is strongly suggested that you be familiar with the material from MATH 20A, 20B, and 20C, or equivalent courses.

Catalog Description: Matrix algebra, solution of systems of linear equations by 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.

Textbook: Linear Algebra and Its Applications, updated third edition, by David C. Lay; published by Pearson and Addison Wesley; 2006

Subject Material: We shall cover parts of chapters 1-7 of the text. A more detailed list may be found by consulting the calendar and the list of assigned homework problems .

Lecture: Attending the lecture 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.

Reading: Reading the sections of the textbook corresponding to the assigned homework exercises is considered part of the homework assignment; you are responsible for material in the assigned reading whether or not it is discussed in the lecture. You should expect questions on the exams that will test your understanding of concepts addressed in the reading and assigned homework exercises. Please read the assigned material in advance of each lecture.

Course web page: http://www.math.ucsd.edu/~gtsogtge/ (in case you are typing, follow the menu link MATH20F)
The course webpage will contain the latest announcements concerning the class, including a complete list of which homework problems have been assigned to date, practice problems for exams, etc. It would be worth your while to check it on a regular basis.

WebCT page: http://webct.ucsd.edu
We will be using WebCT to maintain an online gradebook. Enter your UCSD email username as the "WebCT ID", and the first eight characters of your email password as the password.

Calculators: Calculators will not be permitted on exams. Graphing calculators (such as the TI-86) may prove useful in checking answers to certain homework problems, but are not required for the course.   In particular, we will not assign problems to turn in which neccessitate the use of a graphing calculator.

Homework: Homework will be assigned on the course homework page, and will be collected at the beginning of lecture or section on the indicated due date. A representative sample of the exercises will be graded. A typical assignment will consist of about fifteen problems to hand in, and another fifteen or so "additional problems" which will not be collected. You are expected to complete the entire homework assignment, not just the problems to hand in. You are encouraged to study with others, but the work you turn in should be your own; do not just copy someone else's answer. Please make every effort to complete the homework assignments and seek help with problems you have not been able to solve.

Please observe the following neatness guidelines for homework that you turn in to be graded; homework not conforming to these guidelines will not receive full credit and may not be graded at all.

Your cumulative homework grade will be based on your best eight (8) of nine (9) graded homework assignments. Late homeworks will not be accepted. Exception: Homework placed in the box marked "Math 20F Tsogtgerel" in AP&M by 2:00pm of the indicated due date will be considered on time.

Labs: The Matlab assignments are a required part of the course. Matlab assignments will be assigned weekly on the course homework page, and will be collected at the beginning of the section on the indicated due date. If at all possible, please attend computer lab sections on Thursdays at the same time as your discussion section on Tuesdays. Your TA will be in the lab to assist you during the Thursday lab sections but you can also do the lab problems on your own time. You may discuss the assignments with others; however, the assignments you turn in must be your own. Please also observe the above neatness guidelines. Late assignments will not be accepted.

80% of your cumulative lab grade will be based on your best seven (7) of eight (8) graded lab assignments. The remaining 20% will be based on the Matlab Final Exam, which will be given in lab on Thursday, March 15.

Exams: There will be two 50-minute midterm exams during lecture periods and a 3-hour final exam during the finals period. No books, notes, or calculators will be allowed during the exams. There will be no makeup exams. Check exams page for more information.

First Midterm: Second Midterm: Final Exam:

Regrade Policy: Exams will be returned during the discussion sections. If you believe a grading mistake was made on your exam, return it to your TA immediately. No regrade requests will be considered once the exam leaves the room. Similar policies apply for homework and lab assignment regrading.

Grading: Your course 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- D
97 93 90 87 83 80 77 73 70 60

We may adjust the scale to be more lenient, but we guarantee that the grade corresponding to a given percentage will not be lower than that specified by the above scale. Your cumulative average will be the best of the following two weighted averages. In addition, you must pass the final examination in order to pass the course. Note: Since there are no makeup exams, if you miss an exam for any reason then your course grade will be computed with the final exam counting 60% of your weighted average.

Academic Dishonesty:  Academic dishonesty is considered a serious offense at UCSD. Students caught cheating will face an administrative sanction which may include suspension or expulsion from the university.