18.06 Linear Algebra, Fall 2009

Professor:	Alex Postnikov (office 2-389, email `apost at math.mit.edu`)
Lectures:	MWF 10 am, in 54-100.
Course coordinator:	Jennifer French (office 2-489, email `jfrench at math.mit.edu`)
Textbook:	Gilbert Strang's, Introduction to Linear Algebra, 4th edition.

Syllabus and Course Information

Recitations

Recitations meet on Tuesdays.

You must enroll in a specific section. Your homework and exams will go to that section. Default recitation sections are assigned by the Registrar. You may change your recitation and view your grades on Stellar Course Management System.

Homework and Collaboration

Homework will be posted weekly in the Problem Sets section of the class website. Assignments will be due on Wednesdays, BEFORE 4PM. (A single exception is Friday November 13.) Please put them in the box for your section in 2-106, next to the Undergraduate Mathematics Office. Please staple them (you may use the UMO stapler). They are due every week and are returned in recitation. Late homework will not be accepted and no extension are granted.

The homeworks are essential in learning linear algebra. They are not a test and you are encouraged to talk to other students about difficult problems---after you have found them difficult. Talking about linear algebra is healthy. But you must write your own solutions.

Related Resourses

MATLAB: Some homework problems will require you to use Matlab, an important tool for numerical linearl algebra, which is available at MIT on Athena and other systems. No previous MATLAB experience is required in 18.06. You may find useful commands in the Matlab cheat sheet.

Open Courseware

TUTORING: Tutoring help is available in 2-102, Mon-Tues-Wed-Thurs, 3-5 and 7:30-9:30 pm.

VIDEOS: The videos of Professor Strang's Linear Algebra class are here and on ocw.mit.edu.

DEMOS: Some demos of linear algebra is also available.

The homeworks and exams from previous years are here.

Exams

The course will have three one-hour exams at class times on Monday October 5, Monday October 26, and Monday November 23. There is a final exam on Monday December 14. The use of calculators or notes is not permitted during the exams.

Some helpful overviews of Linear Algebra:

Goals of the Linear Algebra Course (html)

Starting with Two Matrices (pdf)

A Factorization Review (ps, pdf)

Glossary for Linear Algebra (ps, pdf)

Linear Algebra in a Nutshell (ps, pdf)

Concerns about homework, grading, exams: see your recitation instructor.

Checking grade records, changing recitations: online on Stellar Course Management System.

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