COMSATS University Isalmabad, Lahore Campus
COURSE HANDBOOK
1 Course Title Linear Algebra
2 Course Code MTH 231
3 Credit Hours 3(3,0)
4 Semester FA19
5 Resource Person DR. Tariq Zia
6 Supporting Team Members Will be informed later
7 Contact Hours (Theory) 3 hours per week
8 Contact Hours (Lab) Not Applicable
9 Office Hours Shall be communicated later
10 Course Introduction
This course is an introduction to Linear Algebra and to some of its significant applications. It is
designed for a course at the freshman level. This course introduces many applications of
linear algebra in other areas of mathematics, physics, economics, engineering, and computer
sciences. Linear Algebra is the undergraduate course that will have the more impact on
student’s computing skills through conceptual learning. The emphasis is on the computational
and geometrical aspects of the subject, keeping abstraction to a minimum.
11 Learning Objective
The main objective of this course is to help the students to learn the basic ideas of linear algebra
and to see some of its applications. By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Understand some applications of systems of linear equations.
Perform the operations of addition, scalar multiplication, and multiplication, and find the
transpose and inverse of a matrix.
Calculate determinants using row operations, column operations, and expansion down
any column and across any row.
Prove elementary statements concerning the theory of matrices and determinants.
Understand about vector addition, scalar multiplication, inner products, projections,
norms, orthogonal vectors, linear independence, spanning sets, subspaces, bases, and
dimension for Rn and abstract vector spaces.
Write the relationships between A being invertible, det A, AX = 0 having a solution, the
rank of A, and the rows of A being linearly independent.
Use the Gram-Schmidt process to orthogonalize basis.
Find the kernel, range, rank, and nullity of a linear transformation.
Find the matrix associated with a linear transformation with respect to given bases, and
understand the relationship between the operations on linear transformations and their
corresponding matrices.
Find the change-of-basis matrix.
Understand the concept of linear transformations.
Calculate eigenvalues and their corresponding eigenspaces.
Determine if a matrix is diagonalizable, and if it is, diagonalize it.
12 Course Contents
System of Linear Equations and matrices, determinants; vector and inner product spaces,
matrix representations of Linear transformations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors,
Diagonalization of symmetric matrices.
13 Lecture/Lab Schedule
Lecture Topics
Week 1 Matrices and system of linear equations
i. System of Linear equations (Ax = b)
ii. Homogeneous system of Linear equations (Ax = 0)
iii. Matrix,
iv. Matrix Operations and row equivalent matrices
v. Algebraic properties of matrix operations
Week 2 Properties of matrices with its applications
i. Partitioned matrices
ii. Special properties of matrix,
iii. Echelon form
iv. Reduced Echelon form
Week 3 Methods of solving systems of linear equations
i. Gauss-Jordan elimination method
ii. Gauss-Jordan reduction method
Week 4 Determinant and methods of finding inverse of a matrix
i. Singular matrices and non-singular matrices
ii. Method for finding inverse via row operations.
iii. Introduction to determinants,
iv. Properties of determinants
Week 5 Adjoint of a matrix and Cramer’s rule
i. Cofactor expansion and adjoint of a matrix
ii. The inverse of a matrix using determinants
iii. Cramer’s Rule
Week 6 Vector spaces
i. Introduction to binary operations
ii. Introduction to vector spaces
iii. Subspaces.
Week 7 Introduction to basis of a vector space
i. Linear Dependence and Independence.
ii. Linear spanning
iii. Basis and Dimensions
iv. Computing a spanning set
Week 8 Basis and Dimensions
Week 9
Coordinate vectors
i. Coordinate vectors
ii. Matrix of coordinate change of basis.
Week 10 Vector spaces associated to a matrix and rank of a matrix
i. Row space
ii. Column space
iii. Rank of a matrix
iv. Dimension of a row/column space
v. Null space and Nullity
Week 11 Inner product and its applications
i. Introduction to inner product
ii. Properties of inner product
iii. Orthogonal and orthonormal sets
iv. The Gram-Schmidt process.
Week 12 Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
i. Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
ii. Eigen space and basis of eigen space
iii. Similar Matrices
Week 13 Diagonalization and its applications
Week 14 Linear transformation and their properties
i. Linear transformation from Rn → Rm.
ii. Properties of linear transformations
iii. Matrix of linear transformations
Week 15 Kernel and Range of Linear Transformations
i. Kernel of linear transformation
ii. Range of linear transformation
iii. Dimension theorem
14 Course Assessment
The assessment of this module shall have following breakdown structure
First Sessional Test 10%
Second Sessional Test 15%
Quizzes/Assignments 25%
Terminal Examination 50%
The minimum pass marks for each course shall be 50%. Students obtaining less than 50% marks
in any course shall be deemed to have failed in that course. The correspondence between letter
grades, credit points, and percentage marks at CIIT shall be as follows:
Grades Letter Grade Credit Points Percentage Marks
A ( Excellent) 4.0 90and above
A- 3.7 85-89
B+ 3.3 80-84
B (Good) 3.0 75-79
B- 2.7 70-74
C+ 2.3 65-69
C (Average) 2.0 60-64
C- 1.7 55-59
D (Minimum passing) 1.3 50-54
F (Failing) 0.0 Less than 50
Note: The marks to be assigned to students shall be in whole numbers and are not same as
followed in the annual system of Lancaster University.
17. Text Book Introduction to Linear Algebra, by B. Kolman (7 th
Edition)
18. Reference Books 1. Elementary Linear Algebra, by Anton (8th Edition)
2. Linear Algebra and its applications, by David C Lay
(3rd Edition)
19. Attendance Policy
Every student must attend 80% of the lectures/seminars delivered in this course.
20. Field Trips/Case Studies/Seminars/Workshop
Not Applicable