- Instructor:
- M. Randall Holmes
- Schedule:
- We meet Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Friday in MG 120, from 9:40 am to 10:30 am.
- Office and Hours:
- Office: Math/Geology 240A. Hours: To be
determined after consulting you all. See ``open office policy'' below.
- Telephone:
- My office telephone number is 3011 (426-3011 from
off-campus). My home telephone number is 345-2899: students are
welcome to call me but please no calls after 8:30 pm any day or
between 6 pm Friday and noon Sunday.
- Electronic Information:
e-mail: holmes@math.boisestate.edu
WWW (web page): http://math.boisestate.edu/~holmes
I read my e-mail constantly (during the working week) and respond promptly.
An electronic version of the syllabus, which will include homework
assignments, will be accessible from my web page. The electronic
version is the official syllabus, is subject to change, and any
changes will be posted there and not distributed on paper.
- Title of Course:
- Math 301: Linear Algebra. This is section 001.
The department generic syllabus for this course is found at the URL
http://math.boisestate.edu/dept-stuff/Generic/M301.html.
- Textbook:
- David C. Lay, Linear
Algebra and its applications, third edition. This book has been used before; there might be used copies in the bookstore.
- Dates:
- The add deadline (and deadline for dropping without a W) is September 3.
The drop deadline is October 4. Petitions to drop classes after this
date are usually unsuccessful.
Dates for in-class exams: September 10, October 8, November 5, December 3.
The last exam date is firm: it is the last possible day before dead
week. All exams will be given on Fridays.
The final exam will be Monday, December 13, 2004, 10:30 am -- 12:30 pm.
- Calculators:
- We may sometimes have
occasion to use calculators in class. Use of at least a plain
scientific calculator (without graphing or symbolic computation
capabilities) will be allowed on tests; more sophisticated calculators
might be allowed (I have not yet decided). Make sure you have an
allowed calculator if you want to use a calculator on tests.
You may not use cell phones or PDAs (such as Palm Pilots or Pocket
PC's) as calculators during any exam. No exceptions will be made.
These machines have communication capabilities which are inappropriate
in this context. You may not listen to Walkmans or portable tape or
other media players during an exam.
- Homework:
- Homework will be assigned
regularly (probably weekly), collected and graded. Most homework
questions will require clearly written answers in English; even
questions that are mostly computational can benefit from explanation
in English.. You may be graded on clarity of expression as well as
on having correct answers...
Added Aug. 23d: I'm currently planning to distribute a homework assignment each Monday
covering the material to be lectured during the following week; this
assignment will be due Tuesday in the following week. Assignments will
include both odd and even numbered problems; there are answers to odd problems
in your book. You will get 30 points out of 100 for handing in your homework;
the remaining 70 points will be determined by your performance on selected
even problems from the assignment (you will not know which problems are
selected). I don't admit to having any consistent policy about late
homework: I may excuse it, give you the base 30 points for handing it in,
or grade it with or without penalty, at my sole discretion.
- How Your Course Grade Will Be Computed:
- I expect to give four in-class exams this term. There will not be
formal review days for exams, except the final, though I will be
willing to take questions about exams during the usual time for
homework discussion (within reason).
Exams will generally be linearly scaled so that the median grade in
the class corresponds to a mid-range C (75 percent) unless I am
seriously dissatisfied with overall class performance.
Each exam is worth 100 points. The total homework grade counts as an
exam (100 points). It is possible that I will increase the weight of
homework to as much as two exams. The final counts 200 points; your
percentage grade on the final may replace the lowest of the other five
grades (in-class exams and homework) if this helps you.
90 or above is an A; 80 or above is a B; 70 or above is a C; 60 or
above is a D; lower grades are F (after any scaling).
- Eligibility for this Class:
- No exceptions will be made. If the
computer tells me that you don't meet prerequisite or placement exam
standards for this course, I will free your seat for someone who does
meet them.
- Attendance:
- Attendance will not be taken except on the first
two days. If you do not attend this class on one of the first two
days, I will exercise my option to have you administratively
withdrawn.
- Open Office Policy:
- My office hours for these classes are
to be announced. I will almost always be in my office at the
officially scheduled times, and I will try to warn you when I will not
be. If I am in my office during a posted office hour, I am available
to help you.
Don't assume that these are the only times when you can get help! I
am never offended by a student asking me for help if I am in the
office (though I may help only briefly if I am very busy).
My other class meets 12:15-1:30pm Tuesday and Thursday. I will
provide a summary of times when I am likely to be on campus when this
is clearer.
- Late Work and Makeups:
- Makeups for exams
will be possible, and should if possible be arranged in advance of
your absence; you should only do this for a good reason, and if you do
this more than once I will require official documentation of a genuine
emergency. Homework turned in late will be accepted but will have
less value (and may or may not be marked, at my convenience).
- Academic Honesty:
- Collaboration on
homework is acceptable. This does not mean copying of
homework; any paper you put your name on should be largely your own
work. Collaboration on exams is of course not allowed. The penalty
for cheating (defined as looking at another student's paper or
unauthorized use of books or notes during an exam) will be a grade of
zero (0) on the relevant exam. A repeat offense will mean an F in the
course.
- Courtesy Issues:
- Cellular phones must be
turned off during class. If there is a good reason that you
must await a phone call during class, please inform me in advance and
minimize the disruption by sitting near an exit. Cell phones (as well
as PDA's such as Palm Pilots and Pocket PC's) must be turned
off and completely out of sight (no exceptions whatsoever) during an
exam.
You do not need to contact me if you are missing class or if you need
to arrive late or leave early; but I do need you to enter or leave the
class quietly in either case. Of course, you do need to contact me,
preferably in advance, if you are missing an exam.
- Definitions:
- The word ``yesterday'' is defined to mean the previous
class session; the word ``tomorrow'' is defined to mean the next class session,
unless I specifically say otherwise :-)