MATH 410: Matrix Analysis (Spring 2004)

Matrix:(1)That which contains and gives shape or form to anything. (2) The womb. … (7)(Math) A rectangular array of symbols … [from Latin mater = mother] You can see where the creators of the film The Matrix got their title.

Time: MWF 12:00-13:00 Place: PAS 304

Professor: Dr. Bruce Bayly

Office: Math building, room 613 Email: bjb@math.arizona.edu

Phone: 621-4766 (work), 795-8761 (home), 331-2408 (cell)

Office hours: M 9:00-10:00 (in M E 140), W 10:00-11:00, Th 9:00- 10:00

Textbook: LINEAR ALGEBRA AND ITS APPLICATIONS, by G. Strang.

Web page: I hope to maintain a course web page, at which we will post course information, updates and changes to policy, syllabus, etc.. Also homework solution sets, exam solutions, and other supplementary material. It will be linked to my home page http://www.math.arizona.edu/~bjb .

Listserve: We will set up an e-mail listserve for the course, so that students, lecturer, and instructors can have a forum for discussing questions or other issues connected with the course. We will give you instructions for adding yourself to the listserve as soon as we have it up and running.

Grading policy: As far as I know we do not have resources for collecting and grading homework. I will assign practice problems for you to work on yourself (there are web sites with sample solutions to many of Strang’s problems). Similar problems will appear on the exams. If I get a grader I’ll add a homework component to your course grade.

There will be four in-class exams, scheduled for 6 February, 5 March, 7 April, and 30 April). Each in-class exam will be worth 100 points. Missed exams will count for zero points, unless you have a valid excuse, in which case the score for that exam will be replaced by the average of your other in-class exams. The Final exam is scheduled for Monday 10 May from 11:00 – 1:00 (note earlier than class time!), and will be worth 200 points.

All points will be added together and the result divided by the total possible. Final percentages above 90, 80, 70, or 60 guarantee letter grades of at least A, B, C, or D respectively. In practice I anticipate giving difficult exams that most of the class will not finish in the available time. Please DO NOT PANIC! I will adjust letter-grade cutoffs if necessary so that your grade is a valid measure of your achievement in the course.

Note: This course is available for Honors credit by contract, the extra work I expect being to write a term paper on further applications of matrices in your major field. Details of what topics and how much depth can be worked out with me.