You are on page 1of 11

2014 Summer

MAT223 Linear Algebra I

Syllabus

Read this document in its entirety. It contains all of the policies regarding the
administration of this course. Failure to properly read or understand this
document is not a valid excuse when serious matters arise.
When in doubt about a rule or policy, contact the Course Coordinator directly.
Document Date: 13 May 2014 (section II updated 6 June, section III updated 19 June)
Course Coordinator: Dr. Steven Rayan
Contact: rayan@math.toronto.edu
Office: Rm. 6256, Bahen Centre (Building Code: BA)

SCHEDULE OF LECTURES
Section #

Lecture Times

Lecture Room

Instructor

01

Tues & Thurs, 14 pm

MB-128

Steven Rayan

02

Tues & Thurs, 69 pm

MP-137

Mikhail Gudim

SCHEDULE OF OFFICE HOURS


Times

Location

Contact

Steven Rayan

Tues & Thurs, 4:106:00 pm

BA-6256

rayan@math.toronto.edu

Mikhail Gudim

Weds, 1:103:00 pm

SS Math Help Centre

mikhail.gudim@utoronto.ca

Course Web Page: This course has its own site within Portal / Blackboard:
https://portal.utoronto.ca/
Solutions to tutorial quizzes, sample midterms, and other important documents will be posted
there. Please contact the Course Coordinator ASAP if you are unable to access it.

TAs: David Reiss (david.reiss@utoronto.ca), Jerrod Smith (jerrod.smith@mail.toronto.ca),


Kyle Thompson (k3thomps@math.toronto.edu), Zhifei Zhu (zhifei.zhu@mail.utoronto.ca)

I. Course Information and Policies

Welcome to MAT223 : Linear Algebra I. This course will provide a first look at
linear systems, matrix algebra, and vector spaces. The main goal of the course is to
show you how these three notions are deeply intertwined. The ways in which these
connections arise lead to some exciting mathematics.

Prerequisite(s): Secondary-school level calculus


Exclusion(s): MAT240 H1
Communications from the Instructors: The Course Coordinator will send important MAT223
announcements to registered students on a regular basis via the Universitys Blackboard system:
https://portal.utoronto.ca/
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are registered for the MAT223 course area within Portal
(thereby allowing you to access these announcements).
Communications to the Instructors: You may use email to ask your instructor brief questions
about the material, but you must recognize that some questions are better asked and answered in
tutorials and office hours lengthy mathematical discussions are difficult to conduct over email.
If your question involves an official matter, such as illness, a missed quiz, a missed midterm,
your status in the course, etc., then you must email the Course Coordinator specifically (not your
instructor if you are in the evening session, and not your TA).
Very Important: When you email your instructor or one of your TAs, you must ALWAYS
use your official University of Toronto email address, and you must ALWAYS put MAT223 in
the subject line. Emails sent from a non-university address (e.g. Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo) will be
ignored. To respond to you, we MUST be able to verify that you are actually you. It is the official
policy of the University of Toronto that instructors must only reply to student emails sent from
within the utoronto.ca domain.
Disabilities: Should you have a disability that you feel might affect your performance in this
course, please feel free to discuss this directly with the Course Coordinator. Privacy and discretion
will be maintained at all times. If you have not already sought out the assistance of Accessibility
Services, you may wish to arrange an appointment with them to discuss their support options. For
more information, please visit:
http://www.accessibility.utoronto.ca/
Marking Scheme: The marking scheme is:
Tutorial Quizzes (best 3 of 4) 20%, Midterm Exam 30%, Final Exam 50%.

Textbook: The course text, available from the UofT Bookstore, is


Linear Algebra with Applications
1st Edition (Hardcover), by J. Holt. There is also an optional student solution manual available
for purchase separately.
Tutorials: You must be registered for a tutorial section. If not, please inform the Course Coordinator ASAP. You will have 9 tutorials in total: one in each of weeks 1, 4, and 6, and two in each of
Weeks 2, 3, 5. In some of your tutorials, you will be quizzed (see Quizzes immediately below).
There are 4 quizzes in total, and we count your best 3 out of 4. See page 7 of this document for
the exact schedule of tutorials. Do not attend any tutorial section other than the one you are
registered for: failure to attend your registered section will have negative consequences for your
quizzes.
The primary purpose of tutorials is to provide an opportunity to ask questions about the
lecture material and about the recommended textbook problems (see Section III of this document
for the problems). If you are stuck on a question or a concept, the tutorial is the best place to ask
about it. Your TAs are trained, competent graduate students in mathematics, and they are more
than happy to assist you it is their job, so you should make every effort to make use of them.
Your TAs can also advise you on how to properly write up mathematical arguments, so that you
dont lose marks for turning in illogical or unintelligible solutions.
Attendance at tutorials should be considered mandatory.
Quizzes: You will write quizzes in tutorials in weeks 2, 3, 5, and 6. Towards your final grade, we
count your best 3 out of 4 quizzes. Each quiz is roughly 30 minutes long, and consists of approximately four questions. The questions are short but require full answers. Your TA will write the
questions on the blackboard, and you will write your answers on paper. (You must provide your
own writing paper.) Each quiz will cover material up to and including the previous week of the
course. See page 7 of this document for the exact schedule of quizzes.
Missed Quizzes: If you miss exactly one quiz, WE WILL NOT ACCEPT A MEDICAL NOTE
FOR YOUR ABSENCE. We will simply consider the missed quiz to be your lowest quiz, and we
will compute your quiz grade using the three quizzes that you did write. There will be absolutely
no discussion or debate about this point. Should you miss more than one quiz, then you must
speak to the Course Coordinator. Bring with you your Illness Verification Form(s) and/or other
documentation (in the case of non-medical reason, e.g. family tragedy). Note that there are only
a few acceptable reasons for missing a quiz see the Midterm Exam section below for more
information on unacceptable reasons.
Attend Only Your Registered Tutorial Section: You must write your quizzes in the tutorial
section in which you are registered. If you write your quiz in a different tutorial section, your grade
will be recorded as 0. There are no exceptions to this rule.
NO Rescheduling: We cannot and will not reschedule lectures, tutorials, quizzes, or exams in
order to fit your work or travel schedule. By registering for this course, you are fully committing to
the course schedule and to the contents of this syllabus, just as when you enter into a job contract.

Midterm Exam: Your midterm examination will take place on Thursday, June 5 from 4 pm
to 6 pm in EX100. More information on the structure and content of the exam will be provided
closer to the date. You must attend the exam, unless there are valid extenuating circumstances.
The exam cannot be rescheduled for any reason and there are no make-up exams. If you fall ill,
and your illness is deemed sufficient to prevent you from writing the exam by an accredited medical doctor, then you must submit to the Course Coordinator an official Illness Verification Form
within 3 business days of the exam date. (You may submit it to him electronically, if necessary.)
There are other acceptable reasons for missing the midterm (e.g. family tragedy). In these cases,
appropriate documentation must be provided, also within 3 business days. If you cannot attend
for a valid reason, then your grade will be computed as 30% Assignments, 70% Final Exam. If
you do not attend but do not have a reason that is both valid and documented, then you will earn
a mark of 0 on the midterm.
Examples of invalid excuses:
headaches
insomnia
the common cold (unless an accredited physician indicates that it is especially severe)
typical family and work obligations (e.g. I couldnt make it to the exam because of my sons
soccer practice; ormy boss made me work overtime on the day of the exam)
weather and/or transportation issues
IT issues
failure to properly read or remember the exam date / time.
Final Exam: The final examination will take place in the week starting Monday, June 23. The
exact time and location of the exam will be announced closer to the end of the course. The final examination will provide a broad overview of the course. More information on the structure
and content of the exam will be provided closer to the end of the course. You must attend the
exam. The exam cannot be rescheduled for any reason and there are no make-up exams. Failure
to attend the final exam is an extremely serious matter, and this matter will be handled by
the Faculty of Arts & Science itself (not by the Course Coordinator, nor by the Department of
Mathematics). Should you be absent from the exam, it is highly advisable that you collect and
have ready all relevant documentation regarding your absence, as the Faculty may request such
information with little notice.
NO Calculators: Calculators are neither required nor permitted for quizzes, the midterm exam,
or the final exam. Bringing a calculator, or any other electronic device with calculator-like abilities,
to your work space will be grounds for an academic offense.
More on Reporting Illness or Injury: The only medical document accepted is UofTs Official
Illness Verification Form. The form must be signed by an accredited physician or nurse practitioner
practicing in the Toronto area (unless you have suffered an injury outside of Toronto). The form

cannot be completed by a pharmacist; an acupuncturist; a chiropractor; a nurse who is not a nurse


practitioner; an alternative health worker; or any other kind of health worker. The doctors OHIP
registration number must be recorded on the form. The letter must be dated during your illness
and/or injury, and the physician must confirm on the form that he / she saw you while you were
ill / injured. Letters in which the physician indicates that you were seen after you recovered are
unnaceptable. Bring the Illness Verification Form with you when you see the doctor. You can find
it here:
http://www.illnessverification.utoronto.ca/
Medical forms must be submitted to the Course Coordinator within 3 business days of
a missed course activity, either in his office hours or electronically by email (the form must be
scanned). The Coordinator reserves the right to request the original copy at a later date.
Altering an illness verification form after it has been signed by a physician is a serious academic
offense.
Re-grade Requests: If you have an issue with the grading of a quiz or the midterm exam, then
you should return the quiz or exam to your TA as soon as possible, clearly indicating which parts
are to be re-graded and why. I really need a better mark or I deserve more or I was an
A+ student in high school or the quiz is not fair are not valid reasons for re-grading, and
will be ignored accordingly. Your quiz or midterm must be written ENTIRELY in ink with no
correction fluid or correction tape in order to be considered for re-grading. Altering a piece of
work after it has been graded and then submitting it for re-grading is an extremely
serious academic offense.
Re-grading of the final exam is an entirely different matter. It may only occur after you have
carefully reviewed a photocopy of your exam, which you must request through the Registrars
Office. If you feel that a question(s) should be re-graded (again, you must have a valid reason),
then you must formally petition the Registrars Office for this to occur.
Note that it is possible for your mark to go down after your work has been re-graded.
Cheating and Academic Integrity: Your TAs and invigilators will carefully and diligently
check for instances of cheating during quizzes and exams. All suspected incidents of cheating will
be reported. Work wisely. Please also be advised that misrepresentation of identity is an extremely
serious offense.
Faculty Important Dates: It is your responsibility to make note of the add / drop / late
withdrawal dates for the Summer 2014 Session:
http://www.artsandscience.utoronto.ca/ofr/
calendar/Sessional Dates.html

Code of Conduct: You are expect to conduct yourself in a purely professional manner, whether
it be in class, in tutorial, in the exam room, or while engaging in electronic communications. Be
respectful and mindful of your classmates, TAs, and instructors at all times. Do not disrupt the
concentration of your classmates by using electronic devices in class. In general, you are permitted
to use laptops and tablets in class to take notes, but if your use of such devices proves to be
disruptive, you will be asked to put them away for the duration of the semester. The volume on
all devices MUST be set to 0 at all times. Texting and other phone use, even if done silently, is
not an appropriate use of classroom space or time.
Do not contravene the rules of this syllabus, of the Faculty of Arts & Science, or of the University
of Toronto in general. Please see the Governing Councils policies on behaviour:
http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/behaveac.htm

II. Timetable of Course Activities

Week

Tuesday

Thursday

#1
May 1216

Lecture #1

Lecture #2
Tutorial

#2
May 1930

Lecture #3
Tutorial

Lecture #4
Tutorial
Quiz #1

#3
May 2631

Lecture #5
Tutorial

Lecture #6
Tutorial
Quiz #2

#4
June 26

Lecture #7

Lecture #8

MIDTERM TEST
REVIEW SESSION
4:10 - 6:00 pm
(instead of tutorials)

MIDTERM TEST
4:10 - 6:00 pm
Arrive at EX100 by 4:05
(instead of tutorials)

#5
June 913

Lecture #9
Tutorial

Lecture #10
Tutorial
Quiz #3

#6
June 1620

Lecture #11
Tutorial

Lecture #12
Tutorial
Quiz #4

FINAL EXAM REVIEW SESSION: Monday, 23 June, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in BA-1160
(there will also be time for extra questions afterwards)
FINAL EXAM: Wednesday, 25 June, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm in EX-200

III. Course Material


Students in MAT223 come from a variety of academic disciplines, and for many of them MAT223
is their first exposure to linear algebra. Studying linear algebra will help you to develop your skills
of reasoning, problem solving, logical deduction and inference, and communicating your thought
processes in a cogent manner. For many questions that you will encounter in this course, it is not
enough to simply calculate numbers. You will need to construct and communicate mathematical
reasoning / arguments. To offer a contrast, let us remark that a course in linear algebra is a often
more theoretical in nature than a first course in calculus.
Students will be expected to be able to complete various kinds of calculations that exemplify
each section of material. Students are also expected to understand the development and consequences of the theory of linear algebra, so far as it is taught in class, and be able to complete short,
relatively simple proofs. Examples of proofs will be given in lectures regularly.
Broadly speaking, the course will cover simultaneous systems of linear equations; the algebraic manipulation of matrices; rank; vectors and planar geometry; vector subspaces of Rn ; linear
transformations; determinants; eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and eigenspaces; diagonalization; the dot
product as an inner product; and orthogonality.
In the following list of material, you should attempt at least the odd-numbered problems
from the recommended textbook problems. These problems have brief answers in the back of the
textbook. You may also wish to attempt the even-numbered ones, for extra reinforcement. If you
are unsure about an answer, you may consult the Student Solutions Manual (if you have purchased
it), or you may ask your TA in tutorials, or you may ask your lecturer in office hours.
**We strongly suggest that you regard the recommended textbook problems as
your weekly assignment, and to treat them with the utmost importance.**
Week 1 Material:
-Introductory remarks and policy review
-Systems of simultaneous linear equations
-Matrices
-Elementary row operations, Gaussian elimination, REF/RREF, and rank
(*use in-class definition of REF, not the books)
-Vectors in Euclidean space
-Span
Corresponding textbook sections: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1-2.3
Recommended textbook problems:
-1.1,
-1.2,
-2.1,
-2.2,

#1-60
#1-56
#1-80
#1-74

Week 2 Material:
-Linear dependence / independence
-Matrix algebra (incl. multiplication and inverses of matrices; *omit partitions of matrices)
-Linear transformations of Euclidean spaces
-ker(T ) and range(T ) of a transformation T
-Subspaces of Rn (motivated by kernel and range of transformations)
Corresponding textbook sections: 2.3, 3.2, 3.3, 3.1
Recommended textbook problems:
-2.3,
-3.2,
-3.3,
-3.1,

#1-66
#1-64 (omit partitions of matrices)
#1-70
#1-66

Week 3 Material:
-Linear transformations continued (compositions, onto, one-to-one)
-Basis and dimension of a subspace
-Column space, row space, and null space of a matrix
-Relationship of column space to range and of null space to kernel
-The row-col-rank theorem
-The rank-nullity theorem
Corresponding textbook sections: 3.1, 4.1-4.3
Recommended textbook problems:
-3.1,
-4.1,
-4.2,
-4.3,

#1-66
#1-72
#1-68
#1-60

Week 4 Material:
-Finding bases for row space, column space, and null space of a matrix
-Determinant of a square matrix, calculation by row / column expansion
-Properties of the determinant
-Relationship of determinant to invertibility
-Applications of determinants to area (*omit adjoint matrix, Cramers Rule, and volume)
Corresponding textbook sections: 4,3, 5.1-5.3

Recommended textbook problems:


-4.3,
-5.1,
-5.2,
-5.3,

#1-60
#1-82
#1-72
Example 4 (pg. 208), problems #23-27, 39, 40, 47, 60

Week 5 Material:
-Characteristic polynomial and equation
-Eigenvalues, eigenvectors, eigenspaces
-Completion of Big Theorem (final point: A is invertible iff = 0 is not an eigenvalue of A)
-Change of basis
-Diagonalization
-Powers of diagonalizable matrices
-Application of diagonalization to data compression (taught, but not on exam)
Corresponding textbook sections: 6.1, 6.3/6.4
-6.1, #1-66
-6.3 (some 6.3 material will be incorporated into lectures for 6.4; only do problems from 6.4)
-6.4, #1-64
Week 6 Material:
-Dot product revisited: length and angle
-Orthogonal sets of vectors
-Orthogonal complements of subspaces of Rn
-row(A) = null(A) for any matrix A
-Projections and projection formula
-Orthogonal bases and Gram-Schmidt algorithm
-Diagonalizability of projection matrices
-Application of projections to linear regression (taught, but not on exam)
Corresponding textbook sections: 8.1, 8.2
Recommended textbook problems:
-8.1, #1-72
-8.2, #1-58

N.B. We may be slightly ahead or behind this schedule at any given time.

IV. Words of Advice


Doing Well in MAT223: How well you do in this course is very much proportional to:
1. attendance and comprehension of lectures;
2. how seriously you treat the quizzes;
3. how willing you are to practice on your own using problems from the textbook, and how
much care and effort you put into these problems;
4. how willing you are to ask questions when you are unsure about things.
Re-doing examples from lectures and completing all of the recommended textbook problems
are good methods of preparation for the midterm and final exams. In mathematics just as in
most areas of life practice makes perfect, and there really is no substitute for hard work.
The knowledge required for the exams can be obtained entirely from lectures, but comparing
the lecture material to the textbooks presentation often helps to sharpen understanding. Do
not expect your instructor to lend you notes or write up notes for you. If you miss a
lecture, you must take it upon yourself to acquire notes from a classmate. In the event that you cannot, you should ask your instructor for a brief summary of the missed lecture during an office hour.
Too many students are physically but not intellectually present in lectures. Attending a lecture
is not the same thing as engaging yourself in one. An example of attending but not engaging in a
lecture is when a student constantly checks his or her phone for new texts or status updates during
the lecture. (Such behaviour is a nervous habit and you should make every effort to train yourself
out of this.) A student who falls victim to this will have absorbed little from the lecture, and will
have to teach himself or herself the material at a later time often right before an exam. Linear
algebra is a subject that builds upwards, with each weeks material relying on the previous weeks
material. Dont fall behind.
A further thing to note is that this is a compressed course: it contains all of the material of
the fall and winter versions of MAT223, but in only half the time. You owe it to yourself to stay
on top of the material. We recognize that summer is a time with many positive distractions and
opportunities for fun and enjoyment. However, you need to be able to ignore these if and when
necessary in order to ensure that you do not fall behind in the course. For many of you, this is
the only course that you will be taking in May / June. You should use this to your advantage, by
dedicating your time and effort to getting a good grade in MAT223.
If at any time you feel that your performance in the course is less than optimal, or you predict
it will be less than optimal, seek help immediately by talking to your instructor and/or the Course
Coordinator. The earlier you seek help, the easier it is to get you back on track!

You might also like