Math 320(!): Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (FA21)

This course has now ended.

Course Details

Instructor: Thomas G. J. Chandler
Teaching Assistant: Yunfan He
Course Website: https://canvas.wisc.edu/courses/261842
Piazza Website: https://piazza.com/wisc/fall2021/fa21math320002/home
Course Syllabus: Math 320 (FT21) syllabus
Lectures: MWF 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM, Van Vleck B239
Discussion Sessions: 321-DIS: T 8:50 AM – 9:40 AM, Van Vleck B129; 322-DIS: T 9:55 AM – 10:45 AM, Van Vleck B203; 323-DIS: T 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM, Birge 350
Instructor Office Hours: MW 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM, via Zoom (link found on canvas)
TA Office Hours: R 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM, via Zoom (link found on canvas)

Course Description

Introduction to linear algebra, including matrices, linear transformations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Linear systems of differential equations. Numerical aspects of linear problems. This course is an honors course which will follow Chapters 1–6 of the textbook by Gilbert Strang: First Order Equations, Second Order Equations, Graphical and Numerical Methods, Linear Equations and Inverse Matrices, Vector Spaces and Subspaces, and Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors. Further details can be found on the course syllabus.

Course Material

Textbook: This course will predominately follow Differential Equations and Linear Algebra, by Gilbert Strang. Video lectures by Gilbert Strang can be found here.

Software: MATLAB (MATrix LABoratory) will be used for several demonstrations. UW students have institutional access to MATLAB, see here (UW login required). Learning and using MATLAB is recommended, but is not required for this course; however, assessed homework may require reading, understanding, and writing algorithms in MATLAB-like syntax. Alternatives to MATLAB (e.g. Python and Mathematica) may also be useful to the students.

Other material: Handwritten class notes, MATLAB code, homework, and midterm solutions will be posted on the canvas page.