Math 4010 Section 101 Homepage

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04/13 Final Project & Presentation Guidelines and Suggested Topics:

      Instead of a Final Exam, we will have a final "project" of sorts. I would like everyone to
      select a topic somehow related to this class (I have suggestions listed below). This needs
      to be something that we didn't cover or at least didn't cover in detail. 

      *) Pick and topic and clear it with me (in person or via email).
      *) Study your topic. 
      *) Create a handout. This should be at least one page front and back.
         -> Your classmates are your audience. Build off of background from class.
         -> Let us know where to go for further reading somewhere in your handout.
            [Cite any valuable resources - like websites and textbooks - that you found.]
         -> You might want to give a brief historical blurb.
         -> Do worked out examples help us understand your topic? If so, include a few.
         -> Is your topic about a "big theorem"? Include its proof or a sketch of its proof.
      *) During the final exam period, everyone will give a brief presentation of their topic.
         11 people x 10 minutes = about 2 hrs. So 10 minutes a piece should be good. A little
         longer or shorter should be ok too.
      *) The presentation could use slides (like tex or powerpoint) or just use the whiteboard
         and handout.
      *) Several people can work on related topics. If so, you'll need to coordinate presentations
         and handouts. However, everyone should be creating their own unique handout (that work
         should be individual not group work).

      My Fall 2020 MAT 2110 page has some sample slides.
      Or Slides (.pdf) [Source: (.tex)] from a recent talk I gave.

      Handout? Why not model after one of my monstrosities. 
      For example: 
         Differential Algebra and Liouville's Theorem (.pdf) [Source: (.tex)]
         Some differential Galois Theory (.pdf) [Source: (.tex)]

      Suggested topics/ideas:
      ===============================================================================
      Inner Product Space Stuff 
         [Many possibilities from from Spence, Insel, Friedberg Chapter 6]
      Rational Canonical Form
         [Stuff from Spence, Insel, Friedberg Chapter 7 that we skipped]
      Fourier Series
      Laplace Transforms or other Integral Transforms
      The dimension of a infinite dimensional space's dual space
      Quaternions, Hurwitz's theorem, Octonions, or other weird algebras
      What is a Lie group?
      What is a Jordan algebra?
      What is a Lie algebra?
      More about Wronskians
      Differential forms (extending exterior algebra) and/or DeRham cohomology
      Group representation theory/character theory
      Jacobson's density theorem
      Ring module theory (What if our scalars aren't drawn from a field?)

      This semester...
      ===============================================================================
      Gavin: Factorial of a matrix.
      Eddie: Ring modules.
        Max: Tensors in Geology
     Alyssa: Laplace transforms
    Natalie: Quaternions
       Alex: Rational Canonical Form
        Sam: Inner product spaces and Hermite polynomials
      Aiden: Automating computations
      Jacob: Hurwitz's theorem
       Abby: ?Fourier series?

04/08 Solving a 3rd order non-homogeneous linear differential equation with
      constant coefficients 5 ways: Maple (.mw) [PDF print: (.pdf)]

      We cooked up an example and solved it using undetermined coefficients, variation
      of parameters, our partial fraction trick, converting to a first order linear
      system, and finally by cheating and just using Maple's dsolve command.

04/06 Homework #8 [Source: (.tex)] is due Wednesday, April 13th.

04/05 A handout to help clarify material covered last class:
      Variation of Parameters [Source: (.tex)]

03/30 Homework #7 [Source: (.tex)] is due Wednesday, April 6th.

03/22 Homework #6 [Source: (.tex)] is due Wednesday, March 30th.

03/16 Homework #5 [Source: (.tex)] is due Wednesday, March 23rd.

03/14 Handout: Jordan Form [Source: (.tex)]

      Maple Examples (for next class): 
         Jordan and Functions of Matrices Examples (.mw) [Pdf print: (.pdf)]
         More Jordan and Functions of Matrices Examples (.mw) [Pdf print: (.pdf)]
         More Jordan Examples (.mw) [Pdf print: (.pdf)]


02/23 Test #1 (Take Home Portion) is due Wednesday, March 2nd 
      at the beginning of our in class test.

      We will have the in class portion of Test #1 on Wednesday, March 2nd.

      Here's what to know / what's on (in class) Test #1 as currently written:

      *) linear correspondence and using that to answer questions about sets
         of vectors being linearly independent or spanning things. This includes
         knowing how to take sets and extract bases or extend bases.

      *) Know what dual bases do.

      *) Know how change of coordinate matrices work including how to get change of 
         coordinate matrices from other change of coordinate matrices. Similarly, 
         for coordinate matrices of linear transformations. Also, changing coordinates
         relative to dual bases and transpose maps.
         
      *) Know basics about quotient spaces.

      *) Know how to show something is a subspace both using the subspace test and
         by recognizing it as a kernel, span, etc.

      *) Know linear transformation basics (like how to show something is a linear
         transformation).

      *) Know how to prove statements about dimensions using our big theorem that
         every linearly independent set extends to a basis and every spanning set
         contains a basis.

02/11 Seeing several people have work pile up, I've changed due dates for Homeworks #3 & #4.
      We'll be a little less ambitious. 

02/09 Handout:
      Dual Spaces [Source: (.tex)] -- some notes.

      Homework #4 [Source: (.tex)] is due Wednesday, February 16th Monday, February 21th.

02/02 Handout:
      Coordinate Matrix vs. Coordinates [Source: (.tex)]

01/31 Homework #3 [Source: (.tex)] is due Wednesday, February 9th Monday, February 14th.

01/28 Notes [Source: (.tex)] about independence, spanning, dimension, coordinates, & direct sums.

      For stuff we're heading into...
      Computing Bases (.pdf) [Source: (.tex)]
      Coordinate Matrix Example (.pdf) [Source: (.tex)]
      Kernel, Range, & Composition Example (.pdf) [Source: (.tex)]

01/24 Homework #2 [Source: (.tex)] is due Monday, January 31st.

01/12 Homework #1 [Source: (.tex)] is due Friday, January 21st Monday, January 24th.

01/10 Handouts:
      Characterizing the Reals [Source: (.tex)]
      Axioms for the Reals [Source: (.tex)]

      Spence, Insel, & Friedberg = SIF

      SIF suggested reading: Read the appendices especially C & D (on fields and complex numbers).

We should (after reviewing) be able to...
      *) Translate between equations and augmented matrices.
      *) Use Gauss-Jordan elimination to get a matrix into RREF.
      *) Write the solution(s) of a linear system in vector/parametric form.
      *) Use the linear correspondence between columns to recontruct a matrix from
         its RREF and pivot columns.

      Gauss-Jordan elimination and the Linear Correspondence material can be found
      in the RREF handout [Source: (.tex)].
      Note: This handout covers much more information than we need.

TECHNOLOGY:
      We will eventually have homework assignments to be completed using technology.
      I plan to write them assuming the use of Maple (you can download for free and
      activate using the code I provided in AsULearn). Here is a quick intro focused on 
      linear algebra:
     
      Introduction to Linear Algebra in Maple (.mw) [PDF print of Maple worksheet: (.pdf)]
      I have a video introduction, but it's taylored for Calculus 3: Maple Intro. (38mins).
      My Maple examples can be found here but most of them aren't for linear algebra.

      Mathematica is Maple's main competator. It is the engine that lies behind Wolfram Alpha.
      You probably can get Alpha to do linear algebra computations for you, but the
      interface really isn't built for it. So I'll pass.

      If you just want to compute the RREF of a matrix of integers (and show the steps),
      there are many choices but Bogacki's webpage is pretty easy to use.

      Symbolab is a propular choice for computing
      symbolic integrals and derivatives. It can also do linear algebra stuff.

      If you want industrial strength numerical calculations, you either code directly in
      Python or use Matlab (matrix laboratory). Octave is an open source version of Matlab. 
      If you are a science major, (eventually) learning Python and Matlab are good ideas.

      Finally, SAGE is open source mathematical software built on top of Python. It gives 
      us the easiest access to (free) non-trivial calculations. I have created a sandbox 
      for doing Linear Algebra in SAGE.
      Note: Linear Algebra in SAGE Tutorial. 

01/07 Syllabus and Tentative Schedule posted.

10/20 Texts:
      Spence, Insel, & Friedberg - "Linear Algebra" 4th edition. ISBN: 9780130084514 
      Bookfinder.com lists used copies for about $15.

      Rabenstein - "Elementary Differential Equations with Linear Algebra" 3rd edition. ISBN: 9780125739450
      Abebooks.com has copies for about $6.50.

10/11 Course Data
      MAT 4010 Section 101
      ABST LIN ALG W APPL TO DIFF EQ
      MWF 11:00am-11:50am
      WA 304	 

      Final Exam:
      TBD
	  
      Course Title & Description:
      -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
      Abstract Linear Algebra with Applications to Differential Equations

      I plan to spend approximately half of the semester exploring topics 
      from "abstract" linear algebra. Then the remainder of the semester 
      will be devoted to using algebraic methods to solve differential 
      equations and systems of differential equations. 

      Although I will assume familiarity with introductory linear algebra, 
      I will not assume any background from differential equations. Some 
      topics may intersect with group or ring theory (modern algebra), but 
      any background will be covered as needed.

      Possible topics (in more or less detail according to interest):

      Linear Algebra: vector spaces over different fields, infinite 
                      dimensional spaces, dual spaces, quotient spaces, 
                      Jordan canonical form, the matrix exponential, 
                      tensor products, and exterior algebras.

      Differential Equations: solving DEs by factoring linear operators, the 
                      methods of undetermined coefficients, variation of 
                      parameters, and a partial fraction decomposition 
                      technique for solving non-homogeneous linear DEs, using 
                      the matrix exponential and variation of parameters for 
                      solving systems of DEs, symmetry methods for solving DEs 
                      (finding integrating factors and very basic, very applied 
                      Lie theory), and (if there is interest), some differential 
                      algebra which would including a touch of differential 
                      Galois theory which attempts to answer the question, "When 
                      can we solve a differential equation?"

      Note: Although having courses in modern algebra or differential equations 
            would be helpful, I will *not* be assuming that anyone has this 
            background! Any DEs or modern algebra background will be covered in 
            class as needed.  
	  
      Prerequisites: MAT 1120, MAT 2110, & MAT 2240 
	                 (or permission of the instructor)
      -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 
      Any questions about this class? 
      Send me an email at cookwj@appstate.edu