Instructor: Prof. Boris Botvinnik : e-mail botvinn[at]uoregon.edu

Lectures: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 12:30-1:30 pm, remote.

Office hours: Monday,Tuesday 2-2:50 pm, or by appointment, remote.

Textbook: Linear Algebra and Its Applications, 5th Edition, by David C. Lay, Steven R Lay, Judith McDonald, Judi J McDonald.

You are expected to read the textbook carefully, and will be responsible for all the material in those sections that are covered in class. The text contains solutions or hints for odd numbered problems. The homework assignments will consist mostly of even numbered problems, although I strongly recommend that you try some of the odd numbered problems on your own. The accompanying study guide contains a great deal of additional information that you should find helpful.

Prerequisites: Math 251, 252, 253 or instructor's consent.

Course Content:

Math 341 covers systems of linear equations, vector and matrix algebra, determinants, and eigenvectors and eigenvalues, along with various applications. These topics correspond to chapters 1, 2, 3, and 5 of the textbook. The homework page gives a tentative week-by-week breakdown of the sections that will be covered in class. This course will continue next semester with Math 342, which will cover the remainder of the text, including vector spaces, linear independence, bases, dimension, linear transformations, rank and nullity, and inner product spaces. Students will be expected not only to learn to perform vector and matrix computations, but also to understand the abstract theory of linear algebra, including the fundamental definitions and theorems.

Remote Learning Format

Here is the plan how we will run this remote course. I am optimistic that this online format will be as effective for learning the material as a traditional class, though it will take a little more effort for all us to stay focused and engaged.

Lectures

Lectures will be given over Zoom. I will write in a my ipad using Goodnotes5 and share my screen while doing so. You can (and are encouraged to) take your own notes during class, but you will also have access to a video recording of most classes. I encourage each of you to attend every class and ask questions during the class (via voice or chat); watching videos is not so efficient. In particular, you must have a working microphone. Don't skip lecture because you are counting on being able to watch the recording. Be prepared to interact with me and other students.

An invitation to the Zoom lectures ("meetings") will be posted to Canvas.

To prepare, before the quarter starts:

1. Make sure you have Zoom working on your computer or tablet. (A phone is also an option in the worst case, but it may be hard to see what I write.) Make sure you know how to mute and un-mute your microphone.
2. Find a place that you are comfortable joining the lecture with your video turned on: you will probably find it easier to pay attention if your video is on, and the visual feedback I receive that way helps me pace the lectures.

Part of the first few lectures will be spent getting used to learning through Zoom.

Tuesdays will typically be used for review and homework help, as well as catching up if (when) we get behind on material.

Office Hours

Office hours will also be via Zoom, the link to be provided. They will not be recorded.

Homework

Homework is due in class on Wednesdays, beginning October 7. Late homework will not be accepted. There will be 9 homework assignments, the last of which will not be graded. Your lowest homework score will be dropped. You may collaborate with other class members on your homework, although you must each write up your solutions independently and in your own words. To avoid falling behind, you should do the reading and homework as the material is presented in class, rather than leaving it all until the last minute.

The homework should be uploaded to Canvas by the deadline. You can solve the homework by:

1. Solving the problems on paper and then scanning your solutions. You can use a scanning app like Adobe Scan, Office Lens, Scanner Pro, Scanbot, or others, but your scans should be easy to read and contained in a single file. If you do not have a tablet, this is probably the easiest option.
2. Writing solutions using a tablet (iPad, Surface, etc.) and exporting and uploading the result. If you have a tablet, this is probably the easiest option.
3. Typing your solutions using LaTeX, Word, or Pages. You need to show your work, so typing your solutions is a substantial amount of effort. I would do this only if you're trying to learn to type mathematics in LaTeX.

Graded homework will be returned electronically, using Canvas.

Exams

There will be two in-class midterm exams and a take-home final exam. All exams will be open-note and open-book. I plan to give you 9 hours for the final exam. They are to be completed individually -- you may not consult with anyone else (except me) about linear algebra while taking the exams.

To summarize, you need:

• A computer or tablet from which you can access Zoom, including a microphone you can use to talk on Zoom.
• A way to create electronic copies of your homework solutions -- either by scanning paper or writing your solutions electronically.
• A webcam and a place to participate in lectures and office hours where you are comfortable being on video. (Note: if you have a sufficiently powerful computer, Zoom can obscure your background.)
• A tablet and stylus, or other way of writing in OneNote or Zoom's whiteboard (or using Zoom's annotation tools).