MTH 261
Welcome to the homepage for MTH 261!
This page will be used to access files and for general information purposes.
Homework
All homework will be found in the textbook, David Lay, Steven Lay, and Judi McDonald’s Linear Algebra and Its Applications. Select prompts for each section of homework are listed below. Both the 5th and 6th Editions are acceptable.
The homework prompts listed are a starting point to practice the material we learned in class (or from the videos). Some people may feel they need more practice after working through these prompts, and that is great to have that self-awareness! In this case, try some of the even prompts between the assigned odd ones.
5th Edition
§1.1 (p. 10): # 1 – 17 odd, 23, 26
§1.2 (p. 21): # 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 17 – 25 odd, 29
§1.3 (p. 32): # 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 – 23 odd, 27, 33
§1.4 (p. 40): # 1 – 25 odd, 33
§1.5 (p. 48): # 1 – 27 odd, 35
§1.7 (p. 61): # 1 – 29 odd
§1.8 (p. 69): # 1 – 23 odd, 27, 29, 31
§1.9 (p. 79): # 1 – 27 odd, 31
§2.1 (p. 102): # 1 – 23 odd, 27, 28, 31, 32
§2.2 (p. 111): # 1 – 17 odd, 23, 25, 31
§2.3 (p. 117): # 1, 3, 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 23, 27, 28, 33
§3.1 (p. 169): # 5 – 17 odd, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 29, 33, 35
§3.2 (p. 177): # 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 23, 25 – 39 odd
§4.1 (p. 197): # 1 – 4 all, 5 – 23 odd, 25 – 29 all, 31, 33
§4.2 (p. 207): # 1 – 33 odd, (bonus: 34)
§4.3 (p. 215): # 1 – 27 odd, 29, 30, 31
§4.4 (p. 224): # 1 – 23 odd, 24, 27, 31
§4.5 (p. 231): # 1 – 31 odd
§4.6 (p. 238): # 1 – 31 odd
§5.1 (p. 273): # 5 – 31 odd
§5.2 (p. 281): # 5 – 17 odd, 21, 23, 25
§5.3 (p. 288): # 1 – 31 odd
§6.1 (p. 338): # 1 – 31 odd
§6.2 (p. 346): # 1 – 25 odd, 33
§6.3 (p. 354): # 1 – 21 odd
§6.4 (p. 360): # 1 – 21 odd
6th Edition 
§1.1 (p. 10): # 5 – 15 odd, 19, 23 – 35 odd
§1.2 (p. 23): # 1, 3, 5, 6, 9 – 33 odd, 45
§1.3 (p. 34): # 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 – 31 odd, 41
§1.4 (p. 42): # 1 – 31 odd
§1.5 (p. 51): # 1 – 23 odd, 27 – 35 odd
§1.7 (p. 65): # 1 – 27 odd, 35
§1.8 (p. 73): # 1 – 15 odd, 19 – 29 odd, 41, 43
§1.9 (p. 82): # 1 – 9 odd, 15 – 31 odd, 39, 40
§2.1 (p. 108): # 1 – 9 all, 11 – 23 odd, 31, 35
§2.2 (p. 118): # 1, 3, 5, 9 – 23 odd, 27, 31, 33, 39, 41
§2.3 (p. 124): # 1, 5, 11 – 31 odd
§3.1 (p. 177): # 5 – 17 odd, 33 – 43 odd
§3.2 (p. 185): # 5, 9, 13, 17, 21 – 33 odd
§4.1 (p. 208): # 3 – 9 odd, 21 – 33 odd
§4.2 (p. 219): # 1, 2, 3, 9 – 37 odd
§4.3 (p. 228): # 3 – 31 odd
§4.4 (p. 238): # 1 – 21 odd
§4.5 (p. 247): # 1 – 29 odd, 33, 34, 37
§5.1 (p. 280): # 5 – 29 odd
§5.2 (p. 288): # 1 – 17 odd, 21 – 31 odd
§5.3 (p. 295): # 1, 5, 7, 11, 15, 19 – 27 odd
§6.1 (p. 356): # 1 – 27 odd
§6.2 (p. 364): # 1 – 31 odd
§6.3 (p. 374): # 1 – 15 odd, 21 – 29 odd
§6.4 (p. 380): # 3, 7, 9, 13, 17
Note Sheets
Below are a number of Guided Note Sheets. These are blank and constitute what will be covered during lecture.
LaTeX
This course will make thorough use of LaTeX.
Introduction to LaTeX
For the purposes of introducing LaTeX, we will use a free website called overleaf.com. This website provides a free online compiler for producing LaTeX documents without having to download anything (in order to produce these documents otherwise, it typically requires downloading several things, often requiring purchases). This website also has a three-part introduction that is quite good. Check them out, and follow along as it prompts you to.
Introduction to LaTeX – Part 1
Introduction to LaTeX – Part 2
Introduction to LaTeX – Part 3
In addition to these resources produced by overleaf, I have created my own overleaf file that lists a lot of tips and tricks. Here is a read-only document. Feel free to copy it, and paste it into your own document. Then start messing around!
Project
One of the culminating experiences of this course is writing a paper in LaTeX on a linear algebra topic of your choosing. In order to streamline this process, I have created a template for you as well as a file with the guidelines for the project. Both are read-only overleaf links.
Project Guidelines
Paper Template
Presentation Template
Sample Projects
Many students have given me permission to post their papers here. I am posting only a few to give you an idea of what a paper might look like.
Papers
- Grant Haines – Graphics
- Bayley Burke – Fractals
- Nola Leese-Heckman – Tesselations
- Eleanor Quirk & Pasang Sherpa – Facial Recognition
Presentations
- Rocky Compton & Bre Robson – Visualizing Matrix Transformations
- Hans Atteberry & Kevin O’Brien – The Leontief Input-Output Model
- Evan La Fleur & Robert Garfias – Linear Algebra and Circuitry
- Kendra Young – Cryptography-Hill Cipher
Mini Tests
There are four Mini Tests to be completed through the term. You may find them below at these read-only overleaf links.
Mini Test 1
Mini Test 2
Mini Test 3
Mini Test 4
Reviews
Below are some reviews for both the midterm exam and the final exam. Use these reviews to study for the exam. These will not be collected or covered in class.
Sample 261 Midterm Exam
Sample 261 Final Exam
Extra Credits
There are two extra credit opportunities available to you. Please complete these any time before the last week of instruction.
- Extra Credit 1: Women in Math: The Limit Does Not Exist
- Extra Credit 2: The Mathematics of the Three Waves of AI
Videos
I strongly recommend checking out 3blue1brown’s The Essence of Linear Algebra. This series follows a different trajectory through the topics of the course, but he does a wonderful job explaining some of the abstract concepts we cover.