Math 2940 - Linear Algebra for Engineers - Fall 2009

This is the fourth semester of the engineering mathematics sequence. The course covers basic linear algebra, with applications including differential equations, discrete dynamical systems and data fitting.

Announcements

• If you are missing classes due to the flu, you should contact your TA, who can tell you how to make up missed lectures, etc.

• Homework assignments have been updated for the remainder of the term.

• An item of some value was left in the TA office hour room in Thurston on Tuesday, September 22. If you think it is yours, contact Prof. Billera (ljb4) to identify it.

• There is a brief course survey available at the Math Department Moodle site. Log in with your NetID and Password and the course should appear on your Moodle home page. Go to the the course Math 2940 with your lecturer's name. Once you are on the course page, click on the Nuts and Bolts Survey. Your responses will be anonymous and available to the lecturers only. Comments are especially useful.

Text

• Linear Algebra with Applications, 4^rd Edition by Otto Bretscher, Prentice Hall, 2009.

Syllabus and Homework Assignments

• Course Syllabus and weekly Homework assignments.
  The homework may be updated periodically, so check it before doing each assignment.
• The homework is due on Tuesday at 5:00 PM in the lock box in Thurston 102. Late homework will not be accepted.
• You may work together on homework, but your write-up must be your own. (Each student in this course is expected to abide by the Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity. Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work. See the Cornell Code of Academic Integrity.)
• Homework solutions can be found here.

Office Hours

• TA office hours will be held in Thurston 102
  • Mondays, 3-9 PM, and  
  • Tuesdays, 12-3:30 PM.  
• Lecturer office hours:
  • L. Billera, Mondays, 3:45-5:15, Malott 501
  • M. Stillman, Mondays, 1:30-3:00, Thurston 102

Examinations

• Prelim 1 is on Thursday, October 1 at 7:30 PM. Solutions
• Prelim 2 is on Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 PM.

• The final exam is on Thursday, December 10 from 7-9:30 PM.

Administration and Grading

• List of lectures/sections and instructors.
• Handout from first lecture: page 1, page 2.
• Your grade will be determined by your two prelim grades, your final exam grade, and your recitation section grade. Each prelim will be worth 100 points, the final exam will be 150 points, the recitation section grade (which includes section attendance, participation, homework, and quizzes) is 100 points, for a total of 450 points.

Assistance

• Students may register and receive one credit for the Academic Excellence Workshop (AEWs), meeting two hours weekly, in which problems relating to the material covered in class are done. AEWs begin the week of September 7 and can be added through the add/drop period if space is available.
• Free tutoring may be obtained from Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society.
• Other academic assistance information, including the Math Support Center .

Last modified: November 22, 2009