Name and Number: Linear Algebra – Math 3361
Instructor: Ricardo Teixeira
Term: Spring 2, from Mar 21 to May 13
Office Phone: (361) 570.4206
Email: teixeirar@uhv.edu (preferred method of communication)
Course Description: Vector spaces, linear transformation, representation of linear
transformations by matrices, matrix algebra, determinants, systems of linear equations and
eigenvalue problems. Applications to 2D and 3D geometric modeling, computer graphics, and
digital game programming.
Prerequisites: MATH 2414 or MATH 3362.
Required Textbook: Webassign access for Linear Algebra: A Modern
Introduction, 4/e, by David Poole, Cengage Learning
Optional Material: You may want to also buy the physical copy of the
textbook ISBN-13: 978-8131530245
Webassign: You must have access to a computer and a fast internet
connection. You also must have the textbook (at least the e-book) and
access Webassign regularly. Computer or internet problems will not be
valid justifications for asking for extensions on assignments. Access it via
www.webassign.net.
Class key:
uhv 0155 1081
Course Map:
Module 1: Vectors (Chapter 1)
March 21 – March 26
1.0. Introduction: The Racetrack Game
1.1. The Geometry and Algebra of Vectors
1.2. Length and Angle: The Dot Product
mailto:teixeirar@uhv.edu
http://www.webassign.net/
1.3. Lines and Planes
1.4. Applications
Module 2: System of Linear Equations (Chapter 2)
March 27 – April 2
2.0. Introduction: Triviality
2.1. Introduction to Systems of Linear Equations
2.2. Direct Methods for Solving Linear Systems
2.3. Spanning Sets and Linear Independence
2.4. Applications
Module 3: Matrices (Chapter 3)
April 3 – April 9
3.0. Introduction: Matrices in Action
3.1. Matrix Operations
3.2. Matrix Algebra
3.3. The Inverse of a Matrix
3.4. The LU Factorization
3.5. Subspaces, Basis, Dimension, and Rank
3.6. Introduction to Linear Transformations
3.7. Applications
Module 4: Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors (Chapter 4)
April 10 – April 16
4.0. Introduction: A Dynamical System on Graphs
4.1. Introduction to Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
4.2. Determinants
4.3. Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors of n×n Matrices
4.4. Similarity and Diagonalization
4.5. Iterative Methods for Computing Eigenvalues
4.6. Applications and the Perron-Frobenius Theorem
Module 5: Orthogonality (Chapter 5)
April 17 – April 23
5.0. Introduction: Shadows on a Wall
5.1. Orthogonality in ℝn
5.2. Orthogonal Complements and Orthogonal Projections
5.3. The Gram-Schmidt Process and the QR Factorization
5.4. Orthogonal Diagonalization of Symmetric Matrices
5.5. Applications
Module 6: Vector Scpaces (Chapter 6)
April 24 – April 30
6.0. Introduction: Fibonacci in (Vector) Space
6.1. Vector Spaces and Subspaces
6.2. Linear Independence, Basis, and Dimension
6.3. Change of Basis
6.4. Linear Transformations
6.5. The Kernel and Range of a Linear Transformation
6.6. The Matrix of a Linear Transformation
6.7. Applications
Module 7: Distance and Approximations (Chapter 7)
May 1 – May 7
7.0. Introduction: Taxicab Geometry
7.1. Inner Product Spaces
7.2. Norms and Distance Functions
7.3. Least Squares Approximation
7.4. The Singular Value Decomposition
7.5. Applications
Assignments: It is essential that you study Mathematics several times in a week. The following
assignments will help you with this task.
• Discussion Board (20%): on each module, students will participate in a discussion board involving one or more of the module’s concepts, and a reply to someone else’s
post in a way to show a deeper understanding of the content, or a possible application
of the concepts, if possible. Every week we will have one discussion board with a
minimum of two posts per student. They will be assigned through Blackboard
(elearning.uhv.edu).
• First post to be completed by Wednesday, • Second post to be completed by Friday.
• Homework assignments (30%): assignment will contain questions that cover basic knowledge, and also a deeper understanding of the content in theoretical or applied
situations. For each section from the book, we will have one assignment. These
assignments are not timed but will have deadlines. Due Saturdays. They will be on
Webassign (www.webassign.net).
• Midterm (25%): right after week 4, this midterm will cover Modules 1 to 4. It will have around 50 questions, with questions taken from the same bank of questions as the
modules’ assignments. This test will be timed: 2 hours to complete it. Due Sunday
after Module 4. It will be on Webassign (www.webassign.net).
• Final exam (25%): Similar to midterm, it will be on week 8. It will not be cumulative. It will cover modules 5-7. It will be on Webassign (www.webassign.net).
There will be no make-up activities, unless there is an emergency, in which case a written
justification will be required. If you miss an activity, you will automatically receive zero.
Grade distribution: (the instructor reserves the right to modify these bounds only to benefit students, in other words, the “cutoff” for some letters may be slight less than what is described here).
A: 90 – 100 B: 80 – 89 C: 70 – 79 D: 60 – 69 F: below 60
Curves on Grades: The instructor will not make any curves on grades.
Blackboard use: We will use Blackboard and the Webassign system.
Announcements, syllabus, calendars, and more will be available on
Blackboard: https://elearning.uhv.edu
Important: Computer Science and Math majors must receive a grade of C or higher in all
Computer Science and Math courses used as prerequisite or transferred from other institutions.
Any such course in which a student received a D, F, or W must be repeated.
elearning.uhv.edu
http://www.webassign.net/
http://www.webassign.net/
http://www.webassign.net/
https://elearning.uhv.edu/
Netiquette: Use the following rule of thumb “if you wouldn’t do or say something in real life,
don’t do it online either.
1. Before posting your question to a discussion board, check if anyone has asked it already and received a reply.
2. Stay on topic, don’t post irrelevant links, comments, thoughts, or pictures. 3. Don’t type in ALL CAPS! If you do, it will look like you’re screaming. 4. Don’t write anything that sounds angry or sarcastic, even as a joke, because without
hearing your tone of voice, your peers might not realize you’re joking.
5. Always remember to say “Please” and “Thank you” when soliciting help from your classmates.
6. Respect the opinions of your classmates. If you feel the need to disagree, do so respectfully and acknowledge the valid points in your classmate’s argument.
Acknowledge that others are entitled to have their own perspective on the issue.
7. If you reply to a question from a classmate, make sure your answer is accurate! If you’re not 100% sure when the paper is due, DO NOT GUESS! Otherwise, you could
really mess things up for your classmates and they will not appreciate it.
8. If you ask a question and many people respond, summarize all answers and post that summary to benefit your whole class.
9. Be brief. If you write a long dissertation in response to a simple question, it’s unlikely that anyone will spend the time to read through it all.
10. Check the most recent comments before you reply to an older comment, since the issue might have already been resolved or opinions may have changed.
11. Run a spelling and grammar check before posting anything to the discussion board. It only takes a minute and can make the difference between sounding like a fool and
sounding knowledgeable.
STANDARD UHV COURSE POLICIES:
Academic Integrity: “Students. . . have a responsibility to fulfill, and indeed an investment to protect, in helping to
ensure that academic achievement is characterized by honesty and fair play” (UHV Student Handbook). The
University takes academic integrity very seriously. It is your responsibility to understand what behavior violates
academic honesty rules and to understand the consequences for such violations. Please refer to the UHV Student
Handbook: https://www.uhv.edu/handbook/academic-honesty-policy/
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is an increasingly common form of academic misconduct. All of the following are
considered plagiarism:
• turning in someone else’s work as your own
• copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
• failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
• giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
• changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit
• copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether
you give credit or not.
Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging that certain material
has been borrowed and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source, is usually
enough to prevent plagiarism.
[adapted from: https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism}
Services for Students with Disabilities: The University of Houston System complies with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, pertaining to the provision of
reasonable academic adjustments / auxiliary aids for students who have a disability. In accordance with Section 504
and ADA guidelines, the University of Houston-Victoria strives to provide reasonable academic adjustments /
auxiliary aids to students who request and require them. If you believe that you have a disability requiring an
academic adjustment/auxiliary aid, please contact the UHV Office of Disability Services; University Commons, 2108
https://www.uhv.edu/handbook/academic-honesty-policy/
https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism
A; Office – 361-570-4287; Fax – 361-580-5504; Email – Disability Services (DisabilityServices@uhv.edu);
Website – Disability Services (www.uhv.edu/disability-services).
Student Services: The Academic Center offers writing Helpance, subject-area tutoring, testing services, and
information resources. For additional information: call 361-570-4288 or Toll Free: 1-877-970-4848, ext. 288; or
visit their website: http://www.uhv.edu/ac.
Grievance Procedure: If you have a non-academic grievance or complaint, please contact Student Services at 361-
470-4133. If you have an academic grievance or complaint, please contact your school’s dean. Please refer to the
UHV Student Handbook for additional information: http://www.uhv.edu/HandBook/
Title IX: Sexual Misconduct: The University of Houston System including UHV seeks to provide an educational
environment free from sex discrimination, including non-consensual sexual contact, sexual assault, sexual
harassment, interpersonal violence and stalking. We encourage you to report any sexual misconduct to UHV Title IX
Coordinators (361-570-4835; University West 116). If you report any sexual misconduct to me, I am required to
share that information with our Title IX Coordinators. For more information about the UHS Sexual Misconduct
policy and counseling and support resources available to you, go to http://www.uhv.edu/title-ix
Student Conduct: Students are expected to participate in a mutually respectful learning environment. If your
behavior is disruptive, I will remove you from class and you will be referred to the Office of Student Affairs and/or
the Academic Dean. Disruptive behavior is defined by the Student Code of Conduct as:
“3.6 Disruptive Classroom Conduct – Disruptive classroom conduct means engaging in behavior that
substantially or repeatedly interrupts either the instructor’s ability to teach or student learning. The
classroom extends to any setting where a student is engaged in work toward academic credit or satisfaction
of program-based requirements or related activities.” (https://www.uhv.edu/handbook/code-of-conduct/)
mailto:DisabilityServices@uhv.edu
https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uhv.edu%2Fdisability-services&data=02%7C01%7CAkinsC%40uhv.edu%7C896af6f657414b5cb81b08d719c30e15%7C76446035d7ae4edf99340be900515d18%7C0%7C0%7C637006197877040690&sdata=f2LDHOA%2F9M2obdcI64uNClXwTePOn%2FvYABNkiZGI%2B08%3D&reserved=0
http://www.uhv.edu/HandBook/
http://www.uhv.edu/title-ix
https://www.uhv.edu/handbook/code-of-conduct/
Check List for the first week:
1. Register on Webassign and buy the access code (there is a small grace period before payment is due, so register ASAP):
a. Go to www.webassign.net b. Click on “I HAVE A CLASS KEY” (right of the page)
i. There will be three boxes, on the first box, enter uhv ii. On the second box, enter 0155 iii. On the third box, enter 1081
2. Get familiar with the rules on this syllabus. 3. Get familiar with Webassign. Learn how to access the textbook.
https://webassign.com/support/student-support/ 4. Optional: mark the important dates on a calendar app on your phone 5. Optional: browse the course content and review math you do not feel
comfortable.
Typical week in the course:
1. Beginning of the week: a. Watch videos b. Read the textbook
2. By Wednesday 11:59pm: write the first post on Blackboard discussion Board (https://elearning.uhv.edu)
3. By Friday 11:59pm: reply to someone else’s post with a meaningful contribution to the topic.
4. By Saturday 11:59pm: Homework assignments from the modules are due (there are some different homework assignments per module): www.webassign.net
Exams:
1. Midterm: due Sunday 11:59pm after Module 4, covering Modules 1-4 on www.webassign.net
2. Final exam: due Sunday on week 8 at 11:59pm, covering Modules 5-7 on www.webassign.net
http://www.webassign.net/
https://webassign.com/support/student-support/
https://elearning.uhv.edu/
http://www.webassign.net/
http://www.webassign.net/
http://www.webassign.net/
