Homework (for Honors students - in addition to regular HMW)

Slides of the Info Session held Friday, Sept 28 can be found here.

Deadline to apply for this section was Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 5pm.

During fall 2009, the Department of Mathematics is offering a Honors section of the Math 313 - Intro to Linear Algebra course. The main emphasis in this section is to present Linear Algebra concepts in a more in-depth fashion and, along the way, develop the skills necessary in subsequent advanced math courses. Students will learn how to successfully communicate their thought process through rigorous, complete arguments and how to read and write mathematical proofs. The core material for the honors section will be the same as for the regular section and hence will be covered during lectures. Additional reading assignments will be suggested and more challenging problems will be included in the HMW. A weekly problem solving session will take place in an informal setting and will address the additional challenges presented in the assignments. The plan also calls for faculty guests to join some of the Friday sessions to discuss the relevance of linear algebra in other areas of mathematics.

The Honors section Math 313-003 will meet at the same time as Math 313-001, on MW 10:50AM-12:05PM in ENG 107. Honors students will also meet throughout the semester, in an informal setting, on Fridays at 10:50AM (room SENG B211) for a problem solving session. While attendance during the Friday session is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended. Students are expected to attend as many Friday sessions as they can. For students in the honor section, grades will be assigned based on the student performance in the course, including the additional material and HMW assignments. Exams will include 1-2 additional questions related to the material covered in the extra assignments and Friday sessions.

Please consider the questions below before weighing whether this section is for you or not:

DO YOU

• enjoy being challenged beyond the ‘traditional’ math curriculum?
• take this class NOT just because it is required for your major?
• consider enrolling in the more advanced Linear Algebra course (Math 413/513)?
• think about getting involved in research in the near future?
• ever think about continuing on to graduate school?

If you answer yes to (almost) all of these questions, then you meet the minimum expectations we have from students eligible for the honors section. In addition, mathematical maturity gained in Calculus I, II and III is expected. Feel free to discuss your situation with Dr. Cascaval before applying.

A faculty committee will conduct the selection process for admission to the Honors section. Prior grades and especially positive recommendations from previous math teachers will weigh in the selection process. Interested students should fill out an application form and submit it by Monday, August 31st Wednesday, Sept 2nd @ 5pm, to Dr. Cascaval, EN 271.

Successful applicants will receive an email invitation no later than Monday, Sept 7th and will be asked to enroll in the new section before the census date, Thursday, Sept 10th..

To learn more about this section, feel free to join the information session on Friday, August 28th at 10:50AM (room SENG B211).