Math 3A with Prof. Luke Smith

Class Information

MATH 3A
INTRO LINEAR ALGEBRA
Course Code: 44480
Term: Fall 2019

Tentative Course Schedule

The exam dates are linked in the Midterm/Final Information section.

Meeting Information

MWF 11:00-11:50 in RH 104

Instructor Information

Dr. Luke Alexander Smith
Email: smithla@uci.edu
Office Location: 510N Rowland Hall
Office Hours: MW 12pm-1pm, and F 10am-11am. If you want to meet at a different time, please let me know and we can make an appointment.

Yonathan Stone
Email: ystone@uci.edu
Office Location: 480 Rowland Hall
Office Hours: Tuesday 1:00pm-3:00pm Rowland Hall 248, Wednesday 3:00pm-5:00pm Rowland Hall 250B

Basic Course Information

Textbook

David C. Lay, Linear Algebra and its applications, 5th edition, Addison-Wesley.

Course Description

Systems of linear equations in multiple variables lie at the heart of
linear algebra. We start by solving these systems, and then show how these systems describe
vector spaces and their transformations. Linear algebra also studies the algebraic properties of
matrices used to describe systems, including matrix operations, determinants, eigenvalues and
eigenvectors.

How to Succeed

To understand the material as best as possible, you need to apply your problem solving skills to all of the homework. It’s easy to skim problems and concepts, but it’s often harder to work them out step-by-step.

Try working out problems yourselves, but also collaborate with each other when you get stuck. Teaching others fosters understanding, even if you feel like you already get the problem.

You’re always welcome to ask me or your TA to help you with anything course-related. I’m usually available by appointment, just talk to me or email me to set up a time. In general, I’m here for you all and I want to make your lives easy. If you have questions or comments/concerns for me, please feel free to bring them to my attention anytime. Also, your feedback on my questions means a lot to me and helps me pace lecture, so feel free to add your thoughts to the conversation.

Assignment and Exam Information

Grade Breakdown

Grades will be based on the following categories: Quizzes: 25% (lowest score dropped), Midterm 35%, Final 40%.

Grades will be based on the following scale:

	$0 ⟶ 3.5$	$3.5 \to 6.5$	$6.5 \to 9.99...$
90	A-	A	A+
80	B-	B	B+
70	C-	C	C+
60	D-	D	D+
50 and below	F	F	F

Please keep in mind that I cannot offer any extra credit or special treatment regarding your assignment scores and final class score. The best way to do well in this class is to understand each topic and seek help immediately if you are having difficulty.

Recommended Homework Problems

A list of suggested homework problems from the book will be listed at the bottom of this course website. These problems will not be graded, but I encourage you to please work on them alongside the pace of the course.

Quiz and exam problems will be based on the problems in the recommended homework. If you have questions on the assignment exercises or would like more clarification on the quality of your work, please come to my office hours.

Quiz Information

In discussion, there will be a total of 7-8 quizzes throughout the session. The quizzes will be roughly 20 minutes long on Thursdays (starting week 2). Missed quizzes can only be made up in circumstances which fall under the Exam/Quiz Makeup Policy. Please refer to this section for more details.

Midterm/Final Information

There will be one midterm and one final this quarter. The midterm is 50 minutes long, takes place in lecture, and will be based on all of the sections before it in the schedule. The final for this course is 120 minutes long, takes place in our lecture room, and is cumulative. Here is the tentative exam schedule:

Midterm: Monday 11/4, 11:00-11:50am Final: Friday 12/13, 8-10am

Exam/Quiz Makeup Policy

Requests for make-up exams will be considered under the following guidelines:

§ If the final exam time violates the students religious creed.

§ If the final exam time would result in loss of wages constituting financial hardship, need for child care resulting in financial hardship, inability to procure transportation or loss of employment.

§ If there is a verifiable emergency, which prevents the student from taking the final examination at the scheduled time (e.g., serious illness, death of immediate family member, or serious accident).

Quizzes are treated as exams with regards to this makeup policy.

Enrollment and Waitlist

The UCI Math department has complete control over issues regarding enrollment in any of my courses. In particular, I do not have the ability to add you to my class from the waitlist or change which discussion you are enrolled in. For more information, please look at the UCI Math Department's Course Registration and Placement Information Page.

If you are on the waitlist in my course, it is required that you attend lectures and discussions, as well as take quizzes.

Disability Services

If you require any accommodations for this or other courses, it is recommended that you contact the Disability Services Center (here). I will adhere to any accommodations that the DSC makes aware to me.

University and Course Conduct

Everyone in the classroom is expected to behave in a respectful and honest manner, both personally and academically.

Regarding exams, any suspicious or dishonest-looking activity will be treated as academic dishonesty. This will result in a zero on your exam, and the situation will be reported to the university. I take academic honesty very seriously, and I expect everyone to take it seriously as well.

All students are expected to adhere to the UCI Academic Integrity Policies.

Changes to the Syllabus

Please make note that this syllabus is subject to change throughout the quarter. I will make my best attempt to make it known if there will be any corrections or revisions.

"Where can I go if I don't understand the material?"

Office Hours

I’ve mentioned this earlier on this page and I can’t stress this enough. My office hours are meant to help students with the course material and exercises, and I can address any other concerns you might have about the course. If my times listed above don't work for you, feel free to make an appointment with me.

Email and How to Properly Contact Me

When asking for homework help, the more specific of a message you can send, the better. In particular, try to articulate which parts of a problem you are trying to understand and your approaches so far, such as partial solutions, when applicable. If you can post a picture of your partial solution, this is even better. Anything like this will allow me to be more specific in my response to you.

If you have more personal concerns, you are always welcome to contact me through email!

Please note that I am teaching multiple classes and sections, so be sure to state the class name, lecture time and discussion time when appropriate.

As always, I try to accommodate and help you all as much as possible. Kind, professional responses from students are very helpful in maintaining this atmosphere.

Homework Questions:

1.1: 3, 11, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 29, 32

1.2: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 30

1.3: 2,7,9,12,14,15,21,23,24,25

1.4: 1,4,5,8,14,15,19,21,22,23,24,31,32

1.5: 5,7,11,14,17,19, 23, 24abc, 26,27

1.6: 3,5,7,11 (found typo, the 80 arrow should point into C, not out),13

1.7: 1,2,5,9,15,20,21,22,23,27,28,36,37,38

1.8: 3,5,7,8,9,11,13,15,16,17,21,22

1.9: 1,4,5,7,9,16,22,23,24,25,26,29,30,31,32 (problems 1,16, and 22 are good for nonsquare $LaTeX: A_{m \times n}$ matrices)

2.1: 1,2,4,7,10,11,12,13,15,16,27

2.2: 1,9,10,13,15,21,23,31,33

2.3: 1,3,4,11,12,13,14,15,18,33, 36, 37

2.8: 5,7,23,25,27,28, Continued: 11,12,13,15,17,19,20,21,22,29

2.9: 9,11,13,15,16,17bcde, 18acde, 21,22,23

3.1: 1,9,11,12,13,25,26,29,33,37,39,40

3.2: 5,11,15,17,19,22,23,26,27,28,29,30,33,34,39

5.1: 3,9,14,15,19,21,22ab,23,25,26

5.2: 5,11,13,15,21,22bcd (note: 22a is true)

5.3: 1,5,7,11,17,21,22,23,24,25,27,28,29,30

5.6: 5

6.1: 1,5,7,9,11,15,16,17,18,19,20,25

6.2: 3,7,11,13,15,17,18,19,23,24,26,29

6.4: 1,3,7,9,17ab,18a