Math 351: Linear Algebra


Course Information

Professor: Kiril Datchev
Email: kdatchev@purdue.edu
Lectures: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 11:30 to 12:20, in PHYS 202.
Office hours: 3-3:30 Tuesdays, 1:30-2 Wednesdays, 1:30-3 Fridays, or by appointment, in MATH 602.

Textbook: Linear Algebra for Students, by James E. McClure.

We will cover the following topics: Systems of linear equations, finite dimensional vector spaces, matrices, determinants, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, with applications to analytical geometry.

Grading is based on
  • Almost weekly homework assignments, worth 20% of the total grade,
  • two in-class midterm exams, one on February 17th and one on a date to be announced, each worth 20% of the total grade,
  • a final exam, as scheduled here, worth 40% of the total grade.

    • Homework

    Homework is due on paper at the beginning of class on Wednesdays. Here are the assignments:

    Homework 1, due January 22nd, is problems 1.1.3, 1.1.5, 1.1.7, 1.2.1, 1.2.4, and 2.1.3.
    Homework 2, due January 29th, is problems 2.2.1, 2.2.3, 2.5.4, 2.5.5, 2.5.6, 2.7.2, and 2.7.4.
    Homework 3, due February 5th, is problems 2.7.3, 2.7.5, 2.11.2, 3.4.2, 3.6.3, 3.8.2, 3.8.3, and 3.8.4.
    Review problems for Midterm 1.
    Homework 4, due February 26th, is problems 4.11.1, 4.12.3, 5.7.1, 5.7.4, 5.8.1, and 5.9.2.

    Additional Materials

    Paul's Notes have more examples of solving systems by elimination.

    Here is a matrix multiplication calculator.

    Here is a matrix visualizer.

    These notes show how to blur and sharpen an image using translation.

    Section 1.5.3 of Linear Algebra and Differential Equations by Alexander Givental gives more geometric insight into eigenvalues and eigenvectors in the complex and defective cases.

    Finally, a list of general policies and procedures can be found here.