Main Content

Technology

Canvas LMS (Since Spring 2020)

This course will use the Canvas Learning Management System. To access the course log in at canvas.sdsu.edu, and sign in using your SDSU ID.

The information / calendar / deadlines on Canvas officially "defines" the course any given semester.

Note: All Canvas notifications will be delivered to your SDSU email address. You can add additional email addresses and sign up for Text/Mobile app notifications via the settings in your Canvas Profile and then adjust your notifications in the Notifications Tab. Canvas notifications are system wide and cannot be adjusted by course. Click here to view a step-by-step guide on How to Add Additional Notification and Contact Methods.

You are responsible for adjusting your notification settings in such a way that you receive ALL announcements regarding this class.

If you have technical issues with Canvas, please contact the SDSU Canvas 24/7 support line at 619.483.0632.

Class Website

Canvas serves as the official home of the class; some supplemental information still resides at http://terminus.sdsu.edu/SDSU/Math254

There are quite a few things available here:

1. The LECTURE SLIDES are linked from the schedule
2. "Learning Glass" video recordings of many of the "suggested problems." (Note that new recordings may be added both here, and/or on Canvas/Mediasite during the semester).
3. Visual version of the class calendar
4. Class "Expectations"
5. FREE is the best of all prices; so if you are less than stoked about the textbook and/or my lectures check out the External FREE Textbook and Video Lecture Resources
6. The Most Up-To-Date version of the "syllabus" (see Canvas)
7. Class "Grading Scheme" (See Canvas)

WeBWork

The Homework Server (WeBWork) is usually available starting the 2nd week of classes (wait for Canvas announcement).

Your password is: your Red ID
Your Username is your Lastname (most of the time)

Exceptions: If there are two students with the same last name, then the Usernames are LastnameF, where F is the first letter of your first name. If your Lastname on record is Hammer Head then your Username is HammerHead; if your Lastname on record is Shark-Food then your Username is SharkFood. (Note capitalization.) If you are still confused... ask.

http://webwork.sdsu.edu/webwork2/math-254-blomgren/

Contact Information

Professor

Peter Blomgren
blomgren AT sdsu DOT edu
Class hours: (see Canvas)
Office hours: (see Canvas).

Supplemental Instruction (SI) Hours

Supplemental Instruction: Supplemental Instruction (SI) Sessions will be offered 6 times each week, throughout sixteen week course. SI is free and open to all students enrolled in this course. Participation is completely voluntary and near-peer-led, and the instructor will not know who participates.

SI Sessions are facilitated by an SI Leader who has recently successfully completed the course, and has been trained to lead active-learning-based group sessions where students can improve their understanding of course material, review and discuss important concepts, develop study strategies, and prepare for exams. Students who participate in SI Sessions typically earn higher final course and exam grades than students who do not participate, sometimes by a half to a full letter grade.

Check out the [SI Calendar] for times and locations.

"Meet" your MATH 254 SI Leaders: its.sdsu.edu/math-254/

What is SI?: its.sdsu.edu/supplemental-instruction

TA Office Hours

Vody Pavlyuk (detail in Canvas)

Optional Book, and Other Resources

Course Outline (Topics)

Linear Equations, Vectors, Linear Transformations, Subspaces of ℜⁿ and Their Dimensions, Orthogonality (and Least Squares), Determinants, Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors, (Symmetric Matrices and Quadratic Forms.)

Class website

In particular, the lecture slides!

Suggested Text and Reading Materials:

Introduction to Linear Algebra (fifth edition), Gilbert Strang, Wellesley-Cambridge Press / Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 2016, ISBN-10 0-980-23277-5, ISBN-13 978-0-980-23277-6

Errata: None known.

There is no Required Textbook

[ Fall 2018 – current ] The extended notes (lecture + supplemental material) now constitute the "book," and can be downloaded from this site for $0. (With a complete money-back-guarantee) Gilbert Strang's book (see below) is now recommended (but explicitly "optional") reading.

[ Spring 2017 ] I have adopted a new text book [Gilbert Strang's Introduction to Linear Algebra, Fifth Edition (2016)], which not only is supposed to be better, but it is also less expensive than the old one. ($66.50^* vs. $200.00+)   (SDSU-student SIAM membership is free)

Surveys have shown that 66% of students skip buying at least one textbook due to it being too expensive. Of those students 94% feel that they suffer(ed) academically from this choice.

I has also included links to some the External FREE Textbook and Video Lecture Resources section on the website. Notably, you can watch Gil Strang's lectures (recorded in 1999) for free!

[ – Fall 2016 ] (a.k.a. "The Dark Ages") – $200.00+ textbook.

Campus Resources and Information

Math & Stat Learning Center

The SDSU Math & Stat Learning Center is in the Love Library, Room LL-328. "The Math and Stats Learning Center is open to support students in all lower division math courses at SDSU. We have tutors available for walk-in help during all open hours. TAs for Math 141, 150, 151, and 252 also hold their office hours there. Please see the schedule of when the TAs for your class will be in the center by going to our website: www.mlc.sdsu.edu. The MLC is supported by your student success fee. We strongly encourage you to use this wonderful, free resource. Some students believe that they shouldn’t need to ask for help. But, research has shown that the average grade for students who attend the MLC is one half grade higher than those who don’t seek such support."

The MLC primarily targets Math 141, 150, 151, and 252; however most of the tutors are able to field questions in other lower division courses such as 245 and 254, 120 and 124.

Students with Abilities, Seeking Success:

"If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Ability Success Center at (619)594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Ability Success Center as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that professors cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until they have received an accommodation letter from Student Ability Success Center. Your cooperation is appreciated."

Student Privacy and Intellectual Property:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) mandates the protection of student information, including contact information, grades, and graded assignments. I will not post grades or leave graded assignments in public places. Students will be notified at the time of an assignment if copies of student work will be retained beyond the end of the semester or used as examples for future students or the wider public. Students maintain intellectual property rights to work products they create as part of this course unless they are formally notified otherwise.

Cheating and Plagiarism:

Students are encouraged to study together, and to work together to solve exercises. Finals, Midterms, Quizzes, Project, and other designated "individual work" activities must be completed without assistance. All violations will be reported to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilites and will also result in score/grade reductions at the professor's discretion. Please review SDSU's full policy on academic honesty.

Religious observances:

According to the University Policy File, students should notify the instructors of affected courses of planned absences for religious observances by the end of the second week of classes.

Waitlist...

As of Spring 2016, Crashing has been replaced by the Waitlist. Note that professors have VERY LITTLE power over the waitlist, most of the action is "automatic."

General Course Information

Catalog description

Matrix algebra, Gaussian elimination, determinants, vector spaces, linear transformations, orthogonality, eigenvalues, and eigenvectors.

• 1. Math 151 (Calculus II) — Grade C or better required.

Homework

Mandatory problems collected online using WeBWorK. Approximately one assignment per chapter (8-10 assignments). [details TBA]

Recommended problems (not collected) will be also be assigned.

The WeBWork problems are somewhat simplisitic — solving only these problems WILL NOT prepare you for the exams! Do attack the "suggested problems" – they are suggested for a reason! (And do check out the learning glass video solutions)

Syllabus / Schedule Modifications

I reserve the right to modify the syllabus / schedule as needed to work around unfortunate typos-and-thinkos, unforseen events, etc. Announcements will be sent out via Canvas; and PLEASE make it a point to regularly check the calendar.