Math 250 (Introduction to Linear Algebra), Sections 1-2, Fall 2010 (Rutgers University)

Last Update: Dec. 6, 2010 (cancel sections 6.5 and 6.6)
Previous Updates: Nov. 7, 2010 [5.3 was moved to Nov. 18, and Nov. 11 is for review]; Oct. 26, 2010. [Note New Date for Exam II]; Last update: Nov. 14, 2010 (a link to proofs don't bite)

Note: this webpage is specific for Sections 1-2. For general information see http://sites.math.rutgers.edu/courses/250/math250.html (Math 250 General Information) .

TEXT: Elementary Linear Algebra, Second Edition, by Spence, Insel, and Friedberg, Pearson ISBN 978-0131871410 .

Professor

Time and Place

• Section 1: MTh1 (Mondays and Thursdays 8:40-10:00am), SEC(Busch Campus) 202.
• Section 2: MTh2 (Mondays and Thursdays 10:20-11:40am), ARC(Busch Campus) 204.

Free Tutoring for Dr. Z.'s Sections

• Mondays 5:00-6:20pm, Hill 116 (starting Sept. 13, 2010) .

Section 1 top Final Exam Scorers (out of 200)

• Adrien Perkins: 198
• Qin("Chane") Lou: 197
• Eugene Foley: 191
• John J. Wu: 191

Section 2 top Final Exam Scorers (out of 200)

• Sarita Paul: 198
• Ravi Patel: 198
• Matthew Mudrick: 197
• Rashesh Shah: 197
• Ci Zheng: 197
• Remie YU: 194

• Neat and Organized Notebook (with classnotes and homework): 20 points.
  (Note: this is token, it is mandatory to have a neat and organized notebook, with good classnotes and all the homework. Failue to do so will disqualify the student from passing.)
• 10 Quizes: 10 points each (drop the two lowest grades): 80 points.
• 2 Midterm Exams: 100 points each.
• Final: 200 points.

VERY IMPORTANT:

• Attendance is strictly mandatory and enforced!
• No cell-phones! No laptops! No calculators!
• It is also mandatory to take notes of everything I say in class. Please buy a SINGLE-SUBJECT notebook, and write on the cover: Linear Algebra Classnotes. Also write your name and E-mail (in case it gets lost). Don't use it for any other subjects. Also use this notebook to do your homework. Notebooks and homework will be inspected every week. The homework will not be graded carefully, but the weekly quiz will contain homework-style problems, so if you do all your homework, you should ace the quiz.
• Take careful notes during the lectures and do all the homework.
• If you have a justified absence, then in your notebook, in the space where you would have taken classnotes, date it, explain why you were absent (e.g. tape-in doctor's note, or a signed statement: "I swear on my honor that I felt so bad that I couldn't make it"), and then in your own handwriting copy all the worked-examples from the corresponding section(s) of the book.
• Every Thursday (starting Sept. 16) will start with a weekly quiz. During that time I will inspect the homework (and whether you are taking good notes). The quiz does not count unless you show your homework.
• Every class will end with a 10-minute informal "quiz", asking you to do some problems covered in that day's class. It doesn't count towards the grade, but I use it first, to check attendance, but more important, to make sure that you know how to do the problems, and in case that many (or even some) people didn't get it, I'll try to do a better job in reviewing it. After each lecture I will send E-mail to everyone, with the complete solutions, and you should decide whether or not you got it right. If you didn't, you should make every attempt to come to the tutoring session (Monday 5:00-6:20pm, Hill 116).
• Makeup exam policy: there are no make-up midterm exams or make-up quizes. If you have a justified absence (and can prove it by a note from a doctor or a dean) in any exam or quiz, your score would be pro-rated. (For example, if you were absent from exam 1 or exam 2, then I will divide your total score by 400 and multiply by 500; If you were absent from both exams 1 and 2, I will divide your total score by 300 and multiply by 500, but let's hope that you will make it to all exams and all classes!). If you have an unjustified absence in a midterm exam or quiz, your grade for that exam or quiz would be 0.

Lecture Schedule [Revised Oct. 26, 2010, Note New Date of Exam II]

                        ;   Th 9/2: 1.1, 1.2

W 9/8:   1.3            ;   Th 9/9: How to learn 

M 9/13:  1.4            ;   Th 9/16: 1.6 (quiz 1 (and homework due) on 1.1,1.2,1.3)

M 9/20:  1.7            ;   Th 9/23: 2.1 (quiz 2 (and homework due) on 1.4, 1.6)

M 9/27:  2.3            ;   Th 9/30: 2.4 (quiz 3 (and homework due) on 1.7, 2.1)

M 10/4:  2.4            ;   Th 10/7: 2.5 (quiz 4 (and homework due) on 2.3, 2.4)

M 10/11: 2.6            ;   Th 10/14: EXAM 1 (through 2.5)

M 10/18: 3.1            ;   Th 10/21: 3.2 (quiz 5 (and homework due) on 2.6)

M 10/25: 4.1            ;   Th 10/28: 4.2 (quiz 6 (and homework due) on  3.1, 3.2)

M 11/1 : 4.3            ;   Th 11/4:  5.1 (quiz 7 (and homework due) on 4.1, 4.2)

M 11/8:  5.2            ;   Th 11/11: Review (quiz 8 (and homework due) on 4.3, 5.1)

M 11/15: EXAM II(through 5.2); Th 11/18: 5.3

M 11/22: no class       ;   Th 11/25: Thanksgiving (no class, of course)

M 11/29: 6.1            ;   Th 12/2:  6.2 (quiz 9 (and homework due) on  5.3)

M 12/6:  6.3            ;    Th 12/9:  6.4 ( quiz 10 (and homework due) on 6.1, 6.2)

M 12/13: Review of 6.1-6.4 ;

Tu 12/14: 8:40am-1:00pm: Marathon (optional) review in Hill 116.

Note: The homework assignements for sections 6.3 and 6.4 are due Monday 12/13. They will be inspected, since they are very important for the final!

Final:

• Sec. 1: 8:00-11:00 AM, Fri., Dec. 17, 2010, in classroom (SEC 202)
• Sec. 2: 8:00-11:00 AM, Thu., Dec. 23, 2010, in classroom (ARC 204)