Math 2240
Dr. Sarah J. Greenwald

Where to Get Help

Office Hours 326 Walker Hall 262-2363
I am always happy to help you in office hours. An open door means that I am on the floor somewhere, so come look for me.

http://www.mathsci.appstate.edu/~sjg/class/2240/ Check this for access to the other class web pages. On web pages, an underlined phrase means a link.
http://www.mathsci.appstate.edu/~sjg/class/2240/highlights.html Check this after each class meeting for daily class overviews, and short term nightly assignments!

Dr. Sarah's MAT 1010 WebCT is accessible by password from myWebCT http://www.webct.appstate.edu:8900/webct/public/home.pl after following the lab 1 directions. The Bulletin Board is the easiest way to ask a math question outside of class and office hours. You are responsible for reading all posts - you should check the bulletin board at least twice a week. I prefer that you use office hours since it is easier to discuss material in person, but if you can not make them, then the newsgroup is a great alternative. I usually check the newsgroup numerous times every day including the weekends.

I usually check e-mail once a day during the week. [email protected] is the easiest way to contact me outside of class, office hours and the WebCT bulletin board.

Walker Math Help Faculty and students answer questions.

Required Resources

Course Goals
  • An introduction to linear algebra, via selections of Chapters 1-7 of the textbook and Maple modules
  • Be exposed to theory and proofs
  • Learn about applications of linear algebra
  • Math 2240 has been designated as a computer designated course. We will be using Maple to satisfy the designator.

    Topics and Objectives

    Systems of Linear Equations
    Matrix operations and inverses
    Determinants
    Vector geometry in 2 and 3 dimensions
    Vector spaces, dimension, rank of a matrix
    Linear transformations
    Eigenvalues, eigenvectors and diagonalization

    Grades

  • Participation in class, on the bulletin board, in assignments graded out of checkplus, and WebCT quizzes 15% Attendance is required. You are expected to contribute to discussions and to read the WebCT bulletin board. The first try of some WebCT quizzes will occur in the lab and will be worth 20% of the WebCT grade for that quiz. No make-ups are allowed, but the lowest score will be dropped. Each quiz will have up to 5 additional tries to achieve a perfect score on the quiz retake, and the highest of this score will be worth 80% of the WebCT grade for that quiz. This class does not follow the standard lecture format. There will be days when the activities are designed to be completed during class. Thus, attendance is required at ALL classes. Missing more than 3 classes (official and/or unofficial absences) will result in a lower participation grade. Missing more than 6 classes will result in a grade of F. An incomplete will be granted only in university justified cases. Save your absences for emergencies.
  • Projects and Problem Sets 30% Work will not be accepted without explanation and must also be turned in on or before the due date. If there is some reason you must miss a class, then obtain the assignment from the web pages. The lowest project will be dropped - save this for emergencies. Every other project will be equally weighted regardless of the total number of points.
  • Major topic exams 40% No make-up exams will be given. May occur during the last week of class. You should view exams primarily as a learning experience. This means that exams are not only an opportunity for you to demonstrate your mastery of the material, but are also an opportunity for you to be challenged with new material in order for you to make new connections. To encourage exams as a learning experience some extra points will be granted for test revisions.
  • Final project presentations Friday May 4 12-2pm 15% No make-ups allowed.

    • Other Policies

    Material is covered very quickly. Do plenty of exercises, more than those that are assigned. Plan to spend at least 5-7 hours per week, out of class, on average, on this course. Attendance and participation are expected and required. Please try to be punctual in attending, as I try to start each class on time. If you must be late to a class, or must leave early, then do still attend, although you can expect that the portion of the class that you miss will be deducted from your attendance allowance. This class does not follow the standard lecture format. There will be days when the activities are designed to be completed during class and handed in at the end of the period. Thus, attendance is required at ALL lecture and lab periods. You are responsible for all material covered and all announcements and assignments made at each class, whether you are present or not. You are also responsible for announcements made on the web pages, so check them often.

    Certain homework or assignments will require use of a computer with web access and Maple, as this is a computer intensive designated course. Either you will be given some time in lab to do the assignment, or you will have at least 36 hours to complete such an assignment - enough time to access a computer from school if you do not have one at home. If, due to work or other responsibilities, you cannot access such a computer at least once every 36 hours, then you should drop out of this section.

    When writing up work, be sure to give acknowledgment where it is due. Submitting someone else's work as your own (PLAGIARISM) is a serious violation of the University's Academic Integrity Code.

    Methodology

    Asking questions, and explaining things to others, in or out of class, is one of the best ways to improve your understanding of the material. This course is to be an environment in which everyone feels comfortable asking questions, making mistakes, offering good guesses and ideas, and is respectful to one another.

    You should explore each problem and write out your thinking in a way that can be shared with others. Focus on your own ideas. Turn in projects or prepare to present problems even if it they are not complete, even if only to say, "I do not understand such and such" or "I am stuck here." Be as specific as possible. Conjecture.

    In this course, you will be challenged with problems that you have never seen before. I do not expect you to be able to solve all the issues immediately. Instead, I want to see what you can do on your own. Out in the real world, this is important, since no matter what job you have, you will be expected to seek out information and answers to new topics you have not seen before. This may feel uncomfortable and frustrating. I understand this and want to help you through the process. It helps to remember that there are no mathematical dead-ends! Each time we get stuck, it teaches us something about the problem we are working on, and leads us to a deeper understanding of the mathematics.

    In the real world though, you are not expected to face your work alone. You will be allowed to talk to other people and you may even be expected to work with other people. In this class, you are also not expected to face your work alone. I encourage you to talk to me often in class, office hours, and the bulletin board, and group work will also be encouraged.

    I am always happy to help you in class, during office hours (or by appointment), or on the WebCT bulletin board, and will try to give you hints and direction. At times though, to encourage the exploration process, I may direct you to rethink a problem and to come back to discuss it with me again afterwards. This occurs when I believe that the struggle to understand is imperative for your deep understanding of the material.