Summary of material

Math 214 is a computationally based course in linear algebra. Major topics covered include:

  • Reduced row echelon form and its use in describing solutions of linear equations
  • Matrices and matrix multiplication
  • Uses of linear algebra in two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometry and modeling
  • Dot products and their geometric applications
  • Least squares data fitting
  • QR decomposition
  • Determinants
  • Eigenvalues and their applications to discrete dynamical systems
  • Singular value decomposition and its applications

Math 214 does expect students to obtain a conceptual understanding of these topics, but does not expect them to produce formal mathematical proofs. Students who wish to learn to write proofs should consider Math 217 or Math 201.