Honors Linear Algebra – Mathematics 0540 (S1 - 24280)
Brown University – Spring, 2012
Professor Joseph Silverman

Text Linear Algebra Done Right, Sheldon Axler, Springer, 1997 (2nd edition, corrected printing 2004), ISBN 0-387-98258-2 (softcover).
We will also use Chapter 3 of Linear Algebra Done Wrong by Sergei Treil, which is available for free download by clicking this link.
Office Mathematics Department, Kassar House, Room 202
Phone 863-1124
Email jhs@math.brown.edu
Web Site www.math.brown.edu/~jhs/MA0054/MA0054HomePage.html
Reading and Exam Period Schedule
Wed May 1 Last day of regular class
Fri May 3 Review/Q & A session during regular class time
Mon May 6 Extended office hours: 11:00–11:45am and 1:00–1:45pm
Wed May 8 Extended office hours: 11:00–11:45am
Wed May 8 Final Exam: 12:00–5:00pm, Kassar–Foxboro
Office Hours Monday 1:00–1:45 PM and Friday 2:15–3:00 PM
(Or send me an email to make an appointment. I tend to be in on MWF and not on TTh.)
Course Time MWF 11:00–11:50 AM (D Hour)
Course Location Barus Holley 163
Homework
Assignments 		I will keep a list of reading and homework assignments on the following web page:
Click here to go to the Math 0540 Homework Page.
IMPORTANT MA540
INFORMATION 		Math 540 is the honors version of linear algebra. It is a fast-paced theoretically oriented course. We'll be covering lots of interesting material, but you should be prepared to spend a lot of time on this course. There will be challenging problems that require you to work hard, be frustrated, put them aside for a few hours or a days, and then come back to them. If you leave the problem sets until the last day before they're due, you're setting yourself up to do poorly in this class.
      Linear algebra is a very important subject, both for its use in theoretical mathematics and for it applicability in the real world. So the computational side of linear algebra is quite important, but due to time constraints, computations will not be the primary focus of the lectures in this course. Homework sets will consist of two different sorts of problems. Some problems will be theoretical, and you'll learn to construct your own proofs. These will generally build on material that we've covered in class. Other problems will ask you to gain familiarity with computational aspects of linear algebra that we discuss only briefly in class.
Imoprtant
Information
about
Homework 		NOTE: The problem sets are challenging. Don't leave them until the last minute! We will be moving rapidly. In order to learn the material, it is very important to DO THE HOMEWORK WHEN IT IS ASSIGNED.
HOMEWORK RULES:
  • Homework must be stapled. (Credit may be deducted if not.)
  • All homework for the week should be stapled together.
  • Write you name legiibly at the top of the first page.
  • All problems must be clearly labeled.
  • Late homework will not be accepted under any circumstances. (One or two missing homeworks is unlikely to affect your grade, and it's an imposition on the grader to have to go back and grade late homeworks.)

Dates to Remember: There will be two in-class hour exams and a final exam.

Hour Exam #1

Wednesday, February 27

In class
Exam 1 Solutions

Hour Exam #2

Wednesday, April 3

In class
Exam 2 Solutions.

Final Exam

Weds, May 8, 2013
Exam Group 17

Time: 2:00-5:00pm
Location: Kassar–Foxboro
Final Exam Solutions

Grading: The course grade will be determined on the following basis:

Problem Sets

15%

Hour Exam 1

20%

Hour Exam 2

25%

Final Exam

40%

Syllabus

  1. Vector Spaces
  2. Finite-Dimensional Vector Spaces
  3. Linear Maps
  4. Polynomials
  5. Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
  6. Determinants
  7. Inner-Product Spaces
  8. Operators on Inner-Product Spaces
  9. Jordan Normal Form
  10. Linear Recurrences

Go to Professor Silverman's Home Page.