W Stephen Wilson email: wsw@math.jhu.edu
Primary textbook: Linear Algebra, 4th edition, Friedberg, Insel and Spence. ISBN 0-13-008451-4
Supplemental text: Schaum's outlines, Linear Algebra, 4th edition.
Monday, Wednesday, 1:30-2:45, Krieger 302. Section, Friday, 1:30, Krieger 302.
Office hours are Monday, 2:45-3:45 and Tuesday, 10:15-11:15. However, they way they work is I'll be there for the first 15 minutes, and if no one comes, I'll feel free to leave unless someone has emailed me and told me they are coming but won't be there in the first 15 minutes.
Your TA is Sven Cattell, and his office hours are Thursday, 1 to 3, and his office is Krieger 411.
In addition, you should all know about the math department help room that is open nearly all day and most evenings during the week. It is in Krieger 213.
Linear algebra videos relevant to the course. These will be updated all during the semester.
The Honors Linear Algebra course is designed for students with the mindset of a math major even if the student is not majoring in math. It is for students who have self selected because they are brighter, harder working, and more motivated. In particular, they are happy to be free to learn. The prerequisites are 113, Calc II, or a 5 on the AP BC exam. In practice, since this is the Fall semester, that usually defaults to a 5 on the AP BC exam.
Students are expected to make the transition to proving things in this course if they have not already made that transition. Few will have done this already. It is a great introduction to proving things because everything in the course is simultaneously geometric and algebraic. Great material, and you use linear algebra in nearly every math, science, and engineering course you take.
The transition to proving things is a difficult one, but the course will be fast paced. It is best for students to keep an eye on the regular linear algebra course so they can drop down to it if it looks like the honors course will not go well.
In general, the reading and homework assignments will all be from the primary text.
The first few minutes of class on Monday (at exactly 1:30) will be for a short test to determine if you have read the material. It will not test your understanding, just whether or not you read it and paid some minimal attention to it. This will count as 25% of your grade.
After the test, I will give a short lecture explaining what was really important in the material you read.
On Mondays, the reading will be assigned for the quiz for the next Monday, and this material will also have a homework assignment that will be due in Section on Friday of the following week. That's 11 days for homework. No excuses for late homework. Do it early if it is going to be a problem.
The rest of class time will be discussion. In particular, we can work on the homework problems in class.
Homework will be the other 75% of the grade. We can talk about the homework in class, endlessly if desired. Students can talk about the homework outside of class and in class. They can work on the homework together. In the end, students must write up the homework by themselves in their own words. If students appear to have "shared" the writing duties, they will also share the points for the homework (i.e. for two students, 30 points on a homework will give each 15 points). There will be no exams. If this class format breaks down for any reason, we will revert to regular midterm tests and there will be a different formula for grades.
I will give you your class standing every week. Students in the bottom half of the class will be required to attend class and if they don't, their grade will suffer significantly.
The draft syllabus, subject to, but not likely to, change.
Wed, Sept 5, first class. Reading assignment # 1 (and homework on) Chapter 1, Sections 1-4. (Homework # 1 due Fri, noon, Sept 14.)
Mon, Sept 10: Quiz # 1. Reading assignment # 2 (and homework on) Chapter 1, Sections 5-6. (Homework # 2 due Fri, noon, Sept 21.)
Mon, Sept 17: Quiz # 2. Reading assignment # 3 (and homework on) Chapter 2, Sections 1-3. (Homework # 3 due Fri, noon, Sept 28.)
Mon, Sept 24: Quiz # 3. Reading assignment # 4 (and homework on) Chapter 2, Sections 4-5. (Homework # 4 due Fri, noon, Oct 5.)
Mon, Oct 1: Quiz # 4. Reading assignment # 5 (and homework on) Chapter 3, Sections 1-2. (Homework # 5 due Fri, noon, Oct 12.)
Mon, Oct 8: Quiz # 5. Reading assignment # 6 (and homework on) Chapter 3, Sections 3-4. (Homework # 6 due Fri, noon, Oct 19.)
Tues (in place of Monday), Oct 16: Quiz # 6. Reading assignment # 7 (and homework on) Chapter 4, Section 5, and Chapter 5, Section 1. (Homework # 7 due Fri, noon, Oct 26.)
Mon, Oct 22: Quiz # 7. Reading assignment # 8 (and homework on) Chapter 5, Section 2. (Homework # 8 due Fri, noon, Nov 2.)
Mon, Oct 29: Quiz # 8 (on 5.2). Reading assignment # 9 (and homework on) Chapter 5, Section 4 and Chapter 6, Section 1. (Homework # 9 due Fri, noon, Nov 9.)
Mon, Nov 5: Quiz # 9 (on 5.4 and 6.1). Reading assignment # 10 (and homework on) Chapter 6, Sections 2-3. (Homework # 10 due Fri, noon, Nov 16.)
Mon, Nov 12: Quiz # 10 (on 6.2-3). Reading assignment # 11 (and homework on) Chapter 6, Sections 4-6. (Homework # 11 due Fri, noon, Nov 30.) (Note Thanksgiving in here somewhere.)
Mon, Nov 19: No quiz, reading or homework assigned. Thanksgiving week. (Class on Monday though.)
Mon, Nov 26: Quiz # 11 (on 6.4-6). Reading assignment # 12 (and homework on) Chapter 6, Sections 7-8. (Homework # 12 due Fri, noon, Dec 7.)
Mon, Dec 3: Quiz # 12 (on 6.7-8). No reading or homework assigned. Last week of class. Final homework due that Friday.