Course Summary

Math 206, Linear Algebra, begins by investigating techniques for solving systems of linear equations. The methods we develop suggest deeper structures which are responsible for the phenomena we see, and much of the class is spent contemplating these driving forces abstractly. The benefit of this abstract approach is that it produces machinery which is useful in a wide variety of contexts, not simply when something ``looks like" a system of linear equations.

For many students this class will serve as an introduction to abstract mathematics, so in addition to the linear algebra knowledge you'll accumulate throughout the term, you'll also be developing the meta-skills of reading, writing and creating mathematical proofs. If time permits, we will also consider some ``real-world" applications of linear algebra.

Course Instructor

The professor for this class is Andy Schultz. His office is on the third floor of the Science Center, room S352. Office hours will be held on Mondays from 1-3, Wednesdays from 10-11, and Thursdays from 3-4. You are highly encouraged to attend office hours, and you never need an appointment to do so. If these office hours don't fit with your schedule, contact the instructor to set up a time that does. You can also try dropping by his office to chat; if his door is open and he has time to talk, he'll be more than happy to help you with whatever calculus questions you have.

You can contact the instructor at . Though he is always happy to receive emails from you with questions or concerns about the course, he can't guarantee that he'll be able to promptly reply to emails late at night or over the weekend. If you do contact the professor by email, please be sure to follow standard email etiquette. In particular, please make sure you include a greeting and signature and avoid abbreviations. If you're contacting him to ask about a problem, please be sure to specify what the problem asks (as opposed to asking something like ``I can't get problem 2 and need your help").