Contact information: Office: Krieger 421; Phone: 6-7413; E-mail: wsw@math.jhu.edu; Course web site: http://www.math.jhu.edu/~ wsw/S03.
Text: Linear Algebra with Applications, Second Edition, Otto Bretscher. The book is required reading. In fact, you are technically required to read the book before I lecture on the material. That way I can feel free to cover the material, or not, in lecture, since I know you have already read it. At any rate, if it is in the reading assignment then you are responsible for it whether I mention it in lecture or not. From the syllabus you can usually tell what I am about to lecture on so you'll know what to read. Actually, there is too much stuff in the book for me to lecture, in detail, on all of it anyway. Thus you should read the material both before and after the lecture. If you don't, then don't expect to do well.
Homework: Homework will be posted on the course web site sometime on Fridays (including the first week's assignment which really was posted last Friday). Homework will be due at the END of the next week's Thursday/Friday section meeting. The homework will normally cover the material in the lectures for the week the homework is due. This could create a bit of a scramble, but since you know the homework on Friday and you read the book before the lectures, it shouldn't be a problem. I want you working hard in the course and I want it in the `here and now'. I don't want you working `now' on last week's material. There is no perfect way to time homework if you insist on taking other courses at the same time. You are allowed, even encouraged, possibly even forced, to do your homework in groups. There are some conditions on this. The members of your group must all be in the same section. A group can have no more than 4 members. Groups need not be fixed for the semester but all members of the group for the week must sign the homework clearly enough for the teaching assistant (TA) to read. The TA will help students form groups if they need it. The TA can insert someone into a group so that a student is not left out. If you are not in a group then you still have to do the homework. Late homeworks are not acceptable. Working in a group, someone should manage to hand it in. If a group member cannot make it to section but has contributed, the group can put his or her name on the homework. I highly recommend that you not keep someone in your group if they are not doing their share of the work. If they don't do anything, don't let them sign the homework. Declare them `not in the group'. The TA will arrange for the person to be in a group of others who don't do anything. No problem, you don't have to carry them. This is an experiment (for me). If you will recall from chemistry, some experiments blow up. If this blows up then I will change it.
Sections: You must be very careful to physically
go to the section you are officially signed up for since that TA
will be the one who gives you your grades. I don't
care which lecture you go to, they'll pretty much be
the same. When it comes to exam time though then you
should show up in the correct lecture or talk to me
beforehand. I reserve the right to give quizzes in
section anytime I get the urge.
Exams: I traditionally assign seating for exams. Depends
on my mood. Come early enough so you can find your seat
if I do. Bring your I.D. Do not have any math books or
papers anywhere near you. Official grading policy gives you
a zero for the exam if you break rules. If you miss an
exam with a good excuse then see me as soon as possible.
We do make mistakes when we grade exams.
The TA will hand out the exams in section when they are
graded. Check yours over carefully to see that it was graded
properly and
the score was added correctly. Do this before you take
it out of the room.
If you take an exam out of the room we assume that you accept
the grade and it will not be changed after that under
any circumstances. If you are not sure, return it to the TA
and look at it later with the TA.
Personal Problems:
If you anticipate, or actually experience, serious
problems with an exam because you have physical, mental
or psychological problems, then come and talk to me,
preferably before the exam, but better late than never.
Exams are for the purpose of finding out if you know the
material, not to see if you can function when your mother
just ran off with a Hitler clone, your girl/boy-friend
just ran off with your roommate or any of the other
natural and unnatural disasters which happen to students
every year.
If you need some sort of special consideration because of
a disability or other reason then you should let me know
in a timely fashion.
Grades: Roughly speaking, depending on how the class goes, you can sort of expect that the middle grade might be about a B- and about 30% of the class might get As. I like to give hard exams because I don't think the best students should be cheated out of their tuition; they should have something to do too. So, don't get demoralized if the average is 50%, I grade on the proverbial `curve'. I expect the problem sets (homework) to be worth about 25%. I expect to give two exams, each worth 20% and the final should be worth 35%. However, I have not taught this course for some time so I reserve the right to change this around if it doesn't seem appropriate. In particular, if the group homework doesn't work then I will change things. Also, if I give some quizzes in section then I'll have to adjust something to find a way to count them. I also reserve the right to count in-class participation towards (or against) the grade. Each section will be graded on the homework and quizzes by their TA. Grading will not be consistent from section to section. However, I will adjust the grade of each section so that they are comparable and no section will be hurt because of a `tough' grader or helped because of an `easy' grader.
HELP! The department runs a help room, Krieger 213, which is open most of the day; check door for times. The is the easiest, most convenient way to get help if you need it. It is there right when you want it. My office hours are Monday and Tuesday, 1-2. I am also available by appointment and you can always send me an email.
HOURS YOU OWE:
This is a 4 credit course.
I assume that you take 15 credits and you work 45 hours a week.
That means you owe this course
hours, minus the 4 in class
if you come, to get 8.
If you are not working 8 hours outside class
then don't be surprised if you're not doing
well.
Work harder before you complain or even before you ask for
too much help.
You are not working hard in this course until you put over 12 hours
a week into it outside of class if you come to class, 16 if
you don't.
If you are taking more credits then you have chosen to work more
hours.
BOSS: I'm the boss for the course. If the TA tells you something that contradicts what I said, get it straightened out. This could be quite serious. For example, if they lecture instead of letting you work in your groups then you may not get your homework done. If they tell you quizzes don't count and so you don't bother to take them then you lose. We have very good TAs so I do not anticipate any problems, but if you have problems with your TA then you must bring it to my attention as quickly as possible if you want the problem to end.
Study Habits: I should give you a little speech here about study habits but you are seasoned veterans of JHU by now if you are in this course. All of you are good enough to get an A in the course. What will determine the grade is a combination of motivation and study skills. Motivation shouldn't be a problem since the material is great and you are paying a fortune to get it (although I have met students who were unaffected by these motivational tools). Study skills are harder to come by. There are various things around to read like the little pamphlet, How to Study Calculus, by Larry Joel Goldstein. In a nutshell though, the point is, you learn math by doing. You can watch people do math all day and not get much of an education. Do it. Work problems. Memorize every theorem and definition in the book. You need to know them all anyway, why make it up when you need it? Just learn it and remember it. Then work every problem you can find. If you get help from someone, then go back and work it again by yourself the next day.
Linear Algebra: Linear algebra is everywhere. You've been using it for years without naming it. The integral is linear, the derivative is linear. Most applications of mathematics to the `real' world only work when you only look at the linear part. It is great material which will be with you always.
Ethics: I have rarely had problems with cheating in my classrooms and I don't expect to have it in this class. If, however, you know of cheating going on or feel that anything about the course is unfair, then please, report it to me. In the event of cheating then let me know how it is being done so that I can stop it. Cheating does not cheat me but cheats the other students in the class since cheating that raises one person's grade lowers everyone else's grades.
The Dean has asked us to put in a formal statement about ethics into the syllabus so here it is.
The strength of the university depends on academic and personal integrity. In this course, you must be honest and truthful. Ethical violations include cheating on exams, plagiarism, reuse of assignments, improper use of the Internet and electronic devices, unauthorized collaboration, alteration of graded assignments, forgery and falsification, lying, facilitating academic dishonesty, and unfair competition.
Report any violations you witness to the instructor. You may consult the associate dean of students and/or the chairman of the Ethics Board beforehand. See the guide on ``Academic Ethics for Undergraduates'' and the Ethics Board web site (http://ethics.jhu.edu) for more information.
Weekly Reading Assignments and Exam Dates:
Week # 1:
Jan. 28-29, Sections 1.1 and 1.2.
Week # 2:
Feb. 3-5, Sections 1.3, 2.1 and 2.2.
Week # 3:
Feb. 10-12, Sections 2.3, 2.4 and 3.1.
Week # 4:
Feb. 17-19, Sections 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4.
Week # 5:
Feb. 24, Monday, Review. Feb. 25, Tuesday, Exam # 1. Feb. 26,
Wednesday,
post-exam contemplation.
Week # 6:
Mar. 3-5, Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3.
Spring Break:
March 10-15.
Week # 7:
Mar. 17-19, Sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3.
Week # 8:
Mar. 24-26, Sections 5.4, 5.5 and 6.1.
Week # 9:
Mar. 31-Apr. 2, Sections 6.2, and 6.3.
Week # 10:
Apr. 7, Monday, Review. Apr. 8, Tuesday, Exam # 2. Apr. 9,
Wednesday,
post-exam inspirational sermon.
Week # 11:
Apr. 14-16, Sections 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3.
Week # 12:
Apr. 21-23, Sections 7.4, 7.5 and 7.6.
Week # 13:
Apr. 28-30, Sections 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3.
Final Exam:
Thursday, May 8, 9:00-12:00.