MATH 301: Introduction to Linear Algebra
Boise State University, Fall 2022
Instructor: Stephen Brill
Office: MB (Mathematics Building) 218-A
Phone: (208) 426-3122
Fax: (208) 426-1356
Email: sbrill@boisestate.edu
Class meetings:
Section 002: 1030 to 1145, Tuesday and Thursday in room RFH 222.
Section 003: 1030-1145, Wednesday and Friday in room MB 135.
Textbook: Introduction to Linear Algebra by Johnson, Riess, and Arnold.
Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 1330-1430. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1200-1300. Other times by appointment.
Class discord site:
Academic Honesty and appropriate behavior: All students are expected to be familiar with and adhere to the policies and standards given in the BSU Student Code of Conduct.
Cell phones, paging devices, etc.: Please turn off or silence your devices during class time.
Late work and/or extensions: If you seek an extension on an assignment and the request occurs after the due date or time, your request will be summarily denied (except in the most extraordinary circumstances). Such requests that occur before the due date and time will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Contesting grades: If you think I have graded you unfairly on a particular assignment, you must bring this to my attention within a week from the time that the assignment was returned to the class. After a week I will not consider any requests to review and possibly change my grading.
Learning outcomes: At the end of the semester, the student will be able to:
perform elementary matrix algebra
solve linear systems of equations
perform eigenvalue and eigenvector computations
perform matrix decompositions
demontrate familiarity with vector spaces, linear transformations, and least squares problems
Grading policy:
Your grade will be determined by your performance in three areas:
Take-home quizzes. Typically, these will be available on Wednesdays and due the following Friday. These will happen weekly, except on those weeks when tests occur. You may work on these quizzes solo, or in groups of two or three. Groups of four or more are not permitted. If you collaborate, you may do so only with other students in my sections of MATH 301 and with no one else. If you collaborate, please hand in only one completed quiz for your entire group, not one for each member of your group. At the end of the semester, I will "drop" your lowest quiz score.
Tests. No collaboration is permitted. The dates for tests are:
Section 002: 22 September, 27 October, and 1 December
Section 003: 23 September, 28 October, and 2 December
Final Exam. No collaboration is permitted.
Section 002: Thursday, 15 December, 0930-1130.
Section 003: Wednesday, 14 December, 1200-1400.
Your course grade is a weighted average of your scores on the quizzes, tests, and final exam. The details are here. Let x be this weighted average (between 0 and 100). Then your grade will be computed via the following algorithm:
A+: x > 97
A: 93 < x < 97
A-: 90 < x < 93
B+: 87 < x < 90
B: 83 < x < 87
B-: 80 < x < 83
C+: 77 < x < 80
C: 73 < x < 77
C-: 70 < x < 73
D: 60 < x < 70
F: x < 60
This page was most recently updated on 12 December 2022.