Penn State, University Park, Fall 2020
This syllabus and all other information pertaining to this course is available in Canvas.
The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus during the semester.
| Activities | Days | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| lectures | Mon Wed Fri | 09:05 — 09:55 | Zoom (meeting link available in Canvas) |
| office hours | Thu | 17:00 — 18:00 | Zoom (meeting link available in Canvas) |
For remote synchronous attendance, a link to our recurring Zoom meeting will be posted on Canvas.
Warning: All Zoom sessions will be recorded automatically. If you are not comfortable with that, please talk to your instructor privately asap. In accordance with relevant federal law, the recordings will only be accessible to students enrolled in MATH 220H in Fall 2020, the instructor and teaching assistants. Penn State will not reuse the video recordings in future semesters.
Disrupting class in any way will not be tolerated. Refusal to comply with University policies is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Students may face disciplinary action for Code of Conduct violations.
Professor Mathieu Stiénon
We will use the group chat feature of Microsoft Teams for text-based communication in- and outside of our Zoom classroom.
To add yourself to our team “MATH 220H + FALL 2020 + UP”, you will need the team code I have posted in Canvas.
Instructions:
For your convenience, I encourage you to install the Teams app on your phone.
NOT recommended: MyLab Math with Pearson eText – Instant Access – for Linear Algebra and its Applications (18-Weeks) 6th Edition, Lay, McDonald & Lay, Pearson, ISBN-13: 9780135851203 ($69 if ordered directly from Pearson)
Recommended: Used copy of “David Lay, Linear Algebra and its Applications, Pearson”. Fifth, fourth, third, or even second edition acceptable.
I haven’t seen the sixth edition of the textbook but I have seen the fifth, fourth, and third. The content is virtually the same. The only difference I noticed is that the exercises are changed from one edition to the next. Most problems are exactly the same but the numerical values in each problem are changed. Thus, no matter which edition you get, you will be solving the same problems but with different numbers. If I were you, I’d buy the cheapest used copy I could find that is still in good physical shape.
I would strongly suggest NOT buying the sixth edition as it is not commercialized as an actual book printed on paper. What the publisher sells is temporary access to a website where students can work through exercises online for the duration of the semester. Students can read the textbook online through that website but do not get an actual printed book they can keep or resell after the semester has ended. Now, if you want a paper copy of the sixth edition of the textbook, please ask James Pringle, the Pearson representative for our campus, for guidance. If I understood correctly, there would be an additional cost to you for that.
Should you nevertheless choose to buy MyLab Math access, the access code will be posted in Canvas as soon as it becomes available. For assistance with MyLabMath, please get in touch with James Pringle, the Pearson representative for our campus.
Be smart: buy a past edition of the textbook and save money.
https://connecttotech.psu.edu/onlinelearning/
Here are links to the various apps. We will use some of them for remote learning. (No-cost to you. Use your PSU email address and password to log in.)
For office hours, we will use Zoom and Google Jamboard simultaneously.
Honors course in systems of linear equations; matrix algebra; eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
This course is intended as an introduction to linear algebra with a focus on solving systems for linear equations. Topics include systems of linear equations, row reduction and echelon forms, linear independence, introduction to linear transformations, matrix operations, inverse matrices, dimension and rank, determinants, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, diagonalization, and orthogonality.
In contrast to the non-honors version of this course, the honors version is typically more theoretical and will often include more sophisticated problems. Moreover, certain topics are often discussed in more depth and are sometimes expanded to include applications which are not visited in the non-honors version of the course.
MATH 110 , MATH 140 , or MATH 140H
Upon successful completion of MATH 220, the student should be able to:
Homework will be assigned but will not be graded.
A mandatory quiz will be assigned (almost) every class and is due three days later.
There will be no makeup quizzes.
All quizzes will have equal weight.
Quizzes submitted late will automatically be marked as such in the Canvas gradebook. If you submit too many quizzes late, I reserve the right to apply a penalty to your grade.
If you don’t have access to a real document scanner, I recommend you install ScanPro on your phone or tablet. ScanPro’s document boundary detection feature works best if the document to be scanned is placed on a contrasting uniform background. Microsoft’s Office Lens is another option.
If you’d rather work on the quiz directly on your pen-enabled tablet, make sure to submit all layers of the PDF document.
Two midterm examinations will be given during the semester and a comprehensive final examination will be given during the final examination period (December 14-18, 2020).
| Examination | Duration | Date | (Eastern) Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Mid-term | 50 minutes | Wed Sep 30 | 09:05 — 09:55 | Canvas |
| Second Mid-term | 50 minutes | Fri Oct 30 | 09:05 — 09:55 | Canvas |
| Final | week-long exam | Dec 14-18 | Canvas |
No books, notes, or calculators may be used on the examinations.
Students in this class are expected to work the exams on their own, and to write their answers in their own words. Students are not to obtain exam answers from any other person and present them as their own. Students who present other people’s work as their own may receive a zero score on the examination and an F or XF grade for the course.
Warning: All University and College policies regarding academic integrity/academic dishonesty apply to this course and to the students enrolled in this course. Academic dishonesty could result in a transcript notation indicating failure due to academic misconduct.
If you miss an exam without an official excuse (such as illness or official university business), you may be allowed to take a makeup exam, but with an automatic 10% deduction from the grade. To avoid this deduction, you must notify your instructor via email with your official excuse, within 24 hours of the missed exam. Forgetting the date or time of an examination is not a valid excuse.
If there is a valid, documented reason for not being available during the regular mid-term examination time-window, such as classes or other official university activities or illness, a student may arrange with the instructor to take a makeup exam. You need to email your instructor 48 hours prior to the exam regarding conflicts, and within 24 hours of missing the exam due to illness.
The final exam will be sent to you by email or by Office365/Teams chat at 09:00 (Eastern) on Monday December 14. You will submit your answers as a PDF file in Canvas before 17:00 (Eastern) on Friday December 18.
The final examination be scheduled on a day during finals week, December 14-18, 2020.
Students may access their final exam schedules Monday, September 28, 2020 through their LionPATH account.
Notification of conflicts is given on the student’s final exam schedule.
There are two types of conflict final examinations: direct and overload.
Direct conflicts are two examinations scheduled at the same time.
Overload examinations are defined as three or more examinations scheduled in consecutive time periods or within one calendar day.
Students may elect to take the three or more examinations on the same day if they wish or request a conflict final examination.
A student must take action to request a conflict exam through LionPATH between September 28 and October 18, 2020.
Conflict final examinations cannot be scheduled through the Mathematics department.
Students who miss or cannot take the final examination due to a valid and documented reason, such as illness, may be allowed to take a makeup final examination at the beginning of the next semester. Personal business, such as travel, employment, weddings, graduations, or attendance at public events such, as concerts and sporting events is not a valid excuse. Forgetting the date or time of an examination is not a valid excuse. If the student does not have a valid reason, as explained above, a 10% penalty will be imposed. All such makeup examinations must be arranged through the instructor, and students in such a situation should contact their instructors within 24 hours of the scheduled final examination. Students who have taken the original final examination are not permitted to take a makeup examination.
Grades will be assigned on the basis of 300 points, distributed as follows:
| Weekly Quizzes | 100 points |
| First Midterm Examination | 45 points |
| Second Midterm Examination | 45 points |
| Final Examination | 110 points |
Final course grades will be assigned as follows:
300 ⩾ A ⩾ 279 > A- ⩾ 270 > B+ ⩾ 261 > B ⩾ 249 > B- ⩾ 240 > C+ ⩾ 231 > C ⩾ 210 > D ⩾ 180 > F ⩾ 0
The unavoidable consequence is that some students will be “just a point” away from the next higher or lower grade. For reasons of fairness, the policy in this course is to NOT adjust individual grades in such circumstances.
Your grade will be based exclusively on the quizzes, the midterm examination, and the final examination. There is no “extra-credit” work.
Students who are currently passing a course but are unable to complete the course because of illness or emergency may be granted a deferred grade which will allow the student to complete the course within the first several weeks of the following semester. Note that deferred grades are limited to those students who can verify and document a valid reason for not being able to take the final examination. For more information see Deferred Grades.
Students may add/drop a course without academic penalty within the first six calendar days of the semester. A student may late drop a course within the first twelve weeks of the semester but accrues late drop credits equal to the number of credits in the dropped course. A baccalaureate student is limited to 16 late drop credits. The late drop deadline for Fall 2020 is November 13, 2020 at 23:59 (Eastern Time).
Free mathematics tutoring is available at Penn State Learning. They offer both online and in-person options.
For more help, a private tutor list is available on the Courses website (scroll to “Additional Information” for the link).
Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional wellbeing. The university offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings. These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of students’ cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences in race, ability, gender identity and sexual orientation.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University’s Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students’ dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts. Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others. In order to ensure all students have a fair and equal opportunity to succeed in this course, the Mathematics Department is committed to enforcing the University’s academic integrity policy. Below is a description of academic misconduct and the department’s responsibilities when misconduct is suspected.
In this course, academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
If a student is suspected of academic misconduct, the instructor’s duties are to:
Note that a student’s refusal to meet with the instructor or respond to the charges within a reasonable period of time is construed as acceptance of the allegation and proposed sanctions.
Once the Academic Integrity form has been accepted or contested by the student, it is sent to the College’s Academic Integrity Committee for adjudication. A student cannot drop or withdraw from the course during the adjudication process.
If a student accepts an academic misconduct allegation, or if (s)he is found guilty during adjudication, probable sanctions include:
Additional sanctions might include:
In addition, the student will be unable to drop or withdraw from the course.
Please see the Eberly College of Science Academic Integrity homepage for additional information and procedures. Also see the Code of Ethics for Engineers published by the National Society of Professional Engineers.
All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD 40, the University Policy on Recording of Classroom Activities and Note Taking Services, addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct and/or liable under Federal and State laws.
A rising trend across the University is the posting and/or retrieval of material from course-share sites. Generally speaking, the uploading of materials to a course-share site is viewed as an Intellectual Property violation, and the downloading and use of materials from a course-share site could be a violation of academic integrity. If you have questions regarding the specific use of such a site, seek clarification directly from your instructor.
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. If you have a disability-related need for reasonable academic adjustments in this course, contact Student Disability Resources at 814-863-1807 (V/TTY). For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources web site. In order to receive consideration for accommodations, you must contact SDR and provide documentation (see the documentation guidelines at the Student Disability Resources web site). If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, SDR will provide you with an accommodation letter identifying appropriate academic adjustments. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
The Eberly College of Science Code of Mutual Respect and Cooperation pertains to all members of the college community; faculty, staff, and students. The Code of Mutual Respect and Cooperation was developed to embody the values that we hope our faculty, staff, and students possess, consistent with the aspirational goals expressed in the Penn State Principles. The University is strongly committed to freedom of expression, and consequently, the Code does not constitute University or College policy, and is not intended to interfere in any way with an individual’s academic or personal freedoms. We hope, however, that individuals will voluntarily endorse the 12 principles set forth in the Code, thereby helping us make the Eberly College of Science a place where every individual feels respected and valued, as well as challenged and rewarded.
The Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity serves as a catalyst and advocate for Penn State’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. Educational Equity’s vision is a Penn State community that is an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. If you wish to learn more or if you wish to report bias, please visit the Educational Equity website.
If you have questions or concerns about the course, please consult your instructor.