Summer 2009

Harvard Summer School
Mathematics S-21b – Summer 2009
Linear Algebra and
Differential Equations

Instructor:
Robert Winters (Sci Ctr 509)

Course Assistant:
Aleksandar Subotic

Calendar of topics and
homework assignments

Student Solutions Manual
PDF for each chapter
(odd-numbered problems)

Course Textbook 
Linear Algebra with Applications, 3rd Edition, by Otto Bretscher,  published  by Prentice Hall. The ISBN for the text is 0-13-145334-3. It will available at the Harvard Coop bundled with the student solutions manual. It's also available on the web:

Compare prices:
Linear Algebra With Applications, 3rd Ed.

It's possible to get by with the previous (2nd) edition or the new 4th edition. All assigned homework problems will be posted as printable PDF files.

Conversion of the problems in the 3rd Edition to their equivalents in the 2nd Edition. [Some problems in the 3rd Edition have no equivalents in the previous edition of the text.]

 

Announcements:

The Final Exam took place on Friday, August 7. The exams are now being graded and course grades will be submitted to the Harvard Summer School no later than Wed, August 12.

Thanks for attending the course!

Approximate letter grades for Exam #1
Total points on exam was 40. Median score was 34.
Mean score was 31.  Standard deviation was 5.9.
score grade   score grade
36-40 A 23-24 C+
33-35 A- 21-22 C
30-32 B+ 20 C-
27-29 B 16-19 D
25-26 B- 0-15 E
      
Approximate letter grades for Exam #2
Total points on exam was 45. Median score was 41.
Mean score was 38.  Standard deviation was 8.3.
score grade   score grade
42-45 A 27-29 C+
39-41 A- 24-26 C
36-38 B+ 21-23 C-
33-35 B 19-20 D
30-32 B- 0-18 E

Homework should generally be submitted on its due date either in class or in our mailbox on the 3rd floor of the Science Center diagonally across from the elevators. Look for the red labels. (Graded homework will also be available there for pickup.) Any requests for additional time or alternate ways to submit the homework should be directed to CA Aleksandar Subotic.

We are also setting up an e-mail distribution list for the class which can be used for course-related matters such as setting up study groups. Details to follow - apologies in advance for any annoyances during the setup. Anyone can opt out of the list, if desired.

Topics covered include Gauss-Jordan reduction and systems of linear equations; matrices and linear transformations; linear independence; subspaces; matrices and coordinates relative to different bases; general linear spaces; orthogonality and least-squares approximation; inner product spaces; determinants; eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and the spectral theorem; discrete and continuous dynamical systems; phase-plane analysis of linear and nonlinear systems of ordinary differential equations; and function spaces and differential operators.

Text: Linear Algebra With Applications, 3rd Edition, by Otto Bretscher, Prentice-Hall, 2005; ISBN 0-13-145334-3. A student solutions manual is also available with the text. We will cover selected topics from this book, and homework will be assigned from its large collection of exercises. If you can pick up the 2nd Edition of the text (or the new 4th Edition), they will work fine. The content is essentially the same and all homework assignments will be available as printable PDFs.

Course Calendar 

Math S21b syllabus (HTML)      Printable syllabus (PDF)


(adapted from a Gary Larsen cartoon)


Click for today's comic.

Useful Links:

Download your free Adobe Acrobat Reader for reading and printing PDF formatted documents.

Please send comments to Robert Winters.
URL: math.rwinters.com/S21b 
Last modified:  Sunday, August 09, 2009