Introduction to Linear Algebra

Last Updated: Fri, 01/02/2026
Course prefix:
MATH
Course number:
1553
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

An introduction to linear alegbra including eigenvalues and eigenvectors, applications to linear systems, least squares. Credit not awarded for both MATH 1553 and MATH 1522, MATH 1502, MATH 1504, MATH 1512, MATH 1554 or MATH 1564.

Course learning outcomes:

Linear Algebra is very conceptual compared to most courses that students have previously taken. By the end of this course, it is expected that students will be able to do the following.

A. Solve systems of linear questions.
B. Solve eigenvalue problems. 
C. Analyze mathematical statements and expressions (for example, to assess whether a particular statement is accurate, or to describe solutions of systems in terms of existence and uniqueness).
D. Write logical progressions of precise mathematical statements to justify and communicate your reasoning.
E. Apply linear algebra concepts to model, solve, and analyze real-world situations.

Required course materials:

Students are not required to purchase materials for this course.  Our textbook is the free online textbook Interactive Linear Algebra, by Margalit and Rabinoff, which can be found at: https://textbooks.math.gatech.edu/ila/ 
 

Grading policy:

The components of the class are weighted as follows:
5% Studio participation (two lowest scores dropped)
10% Homework (two lowest scores dropped)
15% Quizzes (lowest score dropped)
15% Midterm 1
15% Midterm 2
15% Midterm 3
25% Final exam  

If you score higher on your final exam than on one of the midterms, then your final exam will count for 32.5% of your  grade and your lowest midterm will count for 7.5% of your grade.  However, any student found guilty of academic dishonesty of any kind in Math 1553 is ineligible for this policy.

CIOS Incentive: If at least 85% of all Math 1553 students complete CIOS evaluations by Tuesday April 28 at 1:00 PM (Atlanta time), we will drop the 2 lowest quiz grades rather than just the lowest quiz grade.

Attendance policy:

Lecture attendance: Students are expected to come to lecture.  In the event of an absence, you are responsible for all missed materials, assignments, and any additional announcements or schedule changes given in class.  Class disruptions of any kind will not be tolerated.  Please show courtesy to your fellow classmates and instructor.

Studio attendance: Starting in the second studio of the semester (Friday, January 23), we will take in-person attendance at each studio.  Each participation score will be a grade of 0 or 1 (out of 1).  The 3 lowest participation scores will be dropped. Students are expected to arrive on time to the studio for which they are registered, actively participate, and stay for the full duration.  Any student who arrives more than five minutes late for studio or leaves before the TA ends studio may be given a 0. A TA may decide to stream or record their studios, but any student who wishes to receive credit for studio participation must attend that studio in person.  Our quizzes are also given in studio, so it is a crucial component of the course.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the STEM area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students' broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics, or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the Learning Outcome:
Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems, and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
1. Inquiry and Analysis 
2. Problem-Solving
3. Teamwork

Instructor First Name:
Keagan
Instructor Last Name:
Callis
Section:
E
CRN (you may add up to five):
27137
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Mathematics

Introduction to Linear Algebra

Last Updated: Fri, 01/02/2026
Course prefix:
MATH
Course number:
1553
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

An introduction to linear alegbra including eigenvalues and eigenvectors, applications to linear systems, least squares. Credit not awarded for both MATH 1553 and MATH 1522, MATH 1502, MATH 1504, MATH 1512, MATH 1554 or MATH 1564.

Course learning outcomes:

Linear Algebra is very conceptual compared to most courses that students have previously taken. By the end of this course, it is expected that students will be able to do the following.

A. Solve systems of linear questions.
B. Solve eigenvalue problems. 
C. Analyze mathematical statements and expressions (for example, to assess whether a particular statement is accurate, or to describe solutions of systems in terms of existence and uniqueness).
D. Write logical progressions of precise mathematical statements to justify and communicate your reasoning.
E. Apply linear algebra concepts to model, solve, and analyze real-world situations.

Required course materials:

Students are not required to purchase materials for this course.  Our textbook is the free online textbook Interactive Linear Algebra, by Margalit and Rabinoff, which can be found at: https://textbooks.math.gatech.edu/ila/ 
 

Grading policy:

The components of the class are weighted as follows:
5% Studio participation (two lowest scores dropped)
10% Homework (two lowest scores dropped)
15% Quizzes (lowest score dropped)
15% Midterm 1
15% Midterm 2
15% Midterm 3
25% Final exam  

If you score higher on your final exam than on one of the midterms, then your final exam will count for 32.5% of your  grade and your lowest midterm will count for 7.5% of your grade.  However, any student found guilty of academic dishonesty of any kind in Math 1553 is ineligible for this policy.

CIOS Incentive: If at least 85% of all Math 1553 students complete CIOS evaluations by Tuesday April 28 at 1:00 PM (Atlanta time), we will drop the 2 lowest quiz grades rather than just the lowest quiz grade.

Attendance policy:

Lecture attendance: Students are expected to come to lecture.  In the event of an absence, you are responsible for all missed materials, assignments, and any additional announcements or schedule changes given in class.  Class disruptions of any kind will not be tolerated.  Please show courtesy to your fellow classmates and instructor.

Studio attendance: Starting in the second studio of the semester (Friday, January 23), we will take in-person attendance at each studio.  Each participation score will be a grade of 0 or 1 (out of 1).  The 3 lowest participation scores will be dropped. Students are expected to arrive on time to the studio for which they are registered, actively participate, and stay for the full duration.  Any student who arrives more than five minutes late for studio or leaves before the TA ends studio may be given a 0. A TA may decide to stream or record their studios, but any student who wishes to receive credit for studio participation must attend that studio in person.  Our quizzes are also given in studio, so it is a crucial component of the course.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the STEM area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students' broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics, or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the Learning Outcome:
Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems, and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
1. Inquiry and Analysis 
2. Problem-Solving
3. Teamwork

Instructor First Name:
Christopher
Instructor Last Name:
Jankowski
Section:
C
CRN (you may add up to five):
31311
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Mathematics

Introduction to Linear Algebra

Last Updated: Fri, 01/02/2026
Course prefix:
MATH
Course number:
1553
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

An introduction to linear alegbra including eigenvalues and eigenvectors, applications to linear systems, least squares. Credit not awarded for both MATH 1553 and MATH 1522, MATH 1502, MATH 1504, MATH 1512, MATH 1554 or MATH 1564.

Course learning outcomes:

Linear Algebra is very conceptual compared to most courses that students have previously taken. By the end of this course, it is expected that students will be able to do the following.

A. Solve systems of linear questions.
B. Solve eigenvalue problems. 
C. Analyze mathematical statements and expressions (for example, to assess whether a particular statement is accurate, or to describe solutions of systems in terms of existence and uniqueness).
D. Write logical progressions of precise mathematical statements to justify and communicate your reasoning.
E. Apply linear algebra concepts to model, solve, and analyze real-world situations.
 

Required course materials:

Students are not required to purchase materials for this course.  Our textbook is the free online textbook Interactive Linear Algebra, by Margalit and Rabinoff, which can be found at: https://textbooks.math.gatech.edu/ila/ 

Grading policy:

The components of the class are weighted as follows:
5% Studio participation (two lowest scores dropped)
10% Homework (two lowest scores dropped)
15% Quizzes (lowest score dropped)
15% Midterm 1
15% Midterm 2
15% Midterm 3
25% Final exam  

If you score higher on your final exam than on one of the midterms, then your final exam will count for 32.5% of your  grade and your lowest midterm will count for 7.5% of your grade.  However, any student found guilty of academic dishonesty of any kind in Math 1553 is ineligible for this policy.

CIOS Incentive: If at least 85% of all Math 1553 students complete CIOS evaluations by Tuesday April 28 at 1:00 PM (Atlanta time), we will drop the 2 lowest quiz grades rather than just the lowest quiz grade.

Attendance policy:

Lecture attendance: Students are expected to come to lecture.  In the event of an absence, you are responsible for all missed materials, assignments, and any additional announcements or schedule changes given in class.  Class disruptions of any kind will not be tolerated.  Please show courtesy to your fellow classmates and instructor.

Studio attendance: Starting in the second studio of the semester (Friday, January 23), we will take in-person attendance at each studio.  Each participation score will be a grade of 0 or 1 (out of 1).  The 3 lowest participation scores will be dropped. Students are expected to arrive on time to the studio for which they are registered, actively participate, and stay for the full duration.  Any student who arrives more than five minutes late for studio or leaves before the TA ends studio may be given a 0. A TA may decide to stream or record their studios, but any student who wishes to receive credit for studio participation must attend that studio in person.  Our quizzes are also given in person in studio, so it is a crucial component of the course.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the STEM area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students' broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics, or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the Learning Outcome:
Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems, and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
1. Inquiry and Analysis 
2. Problem-Solving
3. Teamwork

Instructor First Name:
Christopher
Instructor Last Name:
Jankowski
Section:
A
CRN (you may add up to five):
27136
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Mathematics

Finite Mathematics

Last Updated: Fri, 01/02/2026
Course prefix:
Math
Course number:
1711
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

Linear equations, matrices, linear programming, sets and counting, probability, and statistics.

Course learning outcomes:

At the conclusion of Finite Mathematics, it is expected that:

  • Students can work on various types of counting and probability problems, including probability using counting, conditional probability, and binomial probability.
  • Students have learned basic statistics, including measures of dispersion and the normal distribution.
  • Students understand basic matrix operations and can apply matrices to solving systems of linear equations.
  • Knowledge of the above topics can be applied to business, economics, and finance.
  • Probability and matrix operations can be used to solve applications, including Markov chains and game theory.
Required course materials:

Textbook: Goldstein, Schneider, & Siegel, Finite Mathematics & Its Applications, 13th ed.

Grading policy:

Your final grade is a weighted sum of your grades for MyLab Math homeworks, studio quizzes, midterms, project, and the final.

G = 0.10×H  + 0.15×Q + 0.40×M + 0.10 × P + 0.25 × F + E

Here, G is your total grade for the course (up to 100%). H are the average percentages of your MyLab Math grades.  Q denotes your average quiz percentage with the lowest one dropped.  M denotes the average percentage of your midterms, with the lowest dropped. P is the percentage of your project grade, F is the percentage of your final exam, and E here stands for the extra credit points earned throughout the semester.

The usual ten-point letter grade scale will be used:

                            A: [90-100],      B: [80-90),      C: [70-80),      D: [60:70),     F: [0-60).

An Incomplete (an ‘I’) is assigned when a student was doing satisfactory work, but was unable to meet the full requirements of the course for nonacademic reasons beyond their control and deemed acceptable by the instructor. If the student’s performance was so poor as to preclude their receiving a passing grade, the instructor shall assign the grade of F.

Attendance policy:

You are expected to come prepared and actively participate in every lecture and studio session. In the event of an absence, you are responsible for all missed materials, assignments, and any additional announcements or schedule changes given in class. Students are advised to get contact information from a classmate whom they can contact if they need to get copies of notes.

Students who are absent because of participation in approved Institute activities (such as field trips, professional conferences, and athletic events) will be permitted to make up exams missed during their absences. Approval of such activities will be granted by the Student Academic and Financial Affairs Committee of the Academic Senate, and statements of the approved absence may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.

In the event of a medical emergency or an illness that is severe enough to require medical attention, students are responsible for contacting the Office of the Vice President and Dean of Students (Division of Student Life) as soon as possible to report the medical issue or emergency, providing dated documentation from a medical professional, and requesting assistance in notifying their instructors.

Class disruptions of ANY kind will NOT be tolerated and may result in your removal from the classroom and/or loss of participation points for that day. Please show courtesy to your classmates and instructor by adhering to the following class rules:

  • Turn off all laptops, cellular phones, and other electronic devices, unless you have a documented need to use such devices for notetaking, during class.
  • Come to class on time and stay for the entire class period.
  • Refrain from conversing with your fellow students.
  • Put away any reading materials unrelated to the course.
Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the STEM area.

Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help students master the course content and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:

  • How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics, or technology to understand the universe?

Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcomes:

  • Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems, and explain natural phenomena.

Course content, activities, and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies: Inquiry and Analysis, Problem-Solving, and Teamwork.

Instructor First Name:
Ikenna
Instructor Last Name:
Nometa
Section:
C, E
CRN (you may add up to five):
30197
27198
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Mathematics

Algebraic Structures in Coding Theory

Last Updated: Wed, 12/31/2025
Course prefix:
MATH
Course number:
4012
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

Introduction to linear error correcting codes with an emphasis on the algebraic tools required, including matrices vector spaces, groups, polynomial rings, and finite fields.

Course learning outcomes:
  1. Define basic objects in coding theory, such as codes, errors, erasures, distance, linear codes, generator matrices, parity check matrices, syndromes, encoding, decoding, cyclic codes
  2. Apply algebraic structures such as finite fields, ideals, cyclic subspaces, irreducible polynomials, duals to solve problems in communication
  3. Construct classical codes meeting certain requirements on rate or error-correction capability, such as Hamming, Golay, BCH, or Reed-Solomon codes
  4. Recall and apply bounds on tradeoffs in communication to various scenarios
  5. Communicate the principles of error correcting coding in various contexts
  6. Explain and sketch proofs related to coding theory
Required course materials:

We will primarily follow the freely-available textbook: 

Essential Coding Theory, by Venkatesan Guruswami, Atri Rudra, and Madhu Sudan.

Grading policy:

This course will be graded differently than you are likely used to from your other college courses.  The majority of the work that you turn in will be evaluated against quality standards that will be made clear for each assignment.  If your work meets the standard, then you will receive full credit for it. Otherwise, you will get helpful feedback and usually the opportunity to attempt them again.  As a consequence, since there are no points, there is no partial credit and no averaging of grades. This feedback loop represents and supports the way that people learn: By trying things, making mistakes, reflecting on those mistakes, and then trying again. You can make mistakes without penalty as long as you eventually demonstrate evidence of skill. 

There are three major components of your grade: four exams, a group video project, and semester-long engagement with the course.  The exams and project are graded as above, with possible grades of Master, Proficient, or Beginner on each attempt.  Exam problems will be predominantly drawn from homework sets. Engagement points are earned by attending class, completing pre-class prep work, doing homework, and occasional other activities throughout the semester.  There will be at least 190 engagement points available during the semester.

Your grade will be assigned according to the requirements listed below.  Your grade is the highest grade level for which all of the requirements have been met or exceeded.

  • A: Achieve 3 Master and 1 Proficient results on exams, a Master result on the Video Project, and earn at least 160 engagement points
  • B: Achieve 2 Master and 1 Proficient results on exams, a Proficient result on the Video Project, and earn at least 140 engagement points
  • C: Achieve 1 Master and 2 Proficient results on exams, a Proficient result on the Video Project, and earn at least 115 engagement points
  • D: Achieve 3 Proficient results on exams, a Beginner result on the Video Project, and earn at least 90 engagement points
Attendance policy:

Attendance is expected at all class sessions.  2 points are earned toward the Engagement category of your course grade for each day you attend.

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Instructor First Name:
Hunter
Instructor Last Name:
Lehmann
Section:
A
CRN (you may add up to five):
34805
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Mathematics

Survey of Calculus

Last Updated: Tue, 12/16/2025
Course prefix:
MATH
Course number:
1712
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

This course provides an overview of the key concepts needed for an understanding of calculus. Topics covered include: functions, the derivative, applications of the derivative, techniques of differentiation, integration, applications of integration to probability and statistics, and multidimensional calculus.

Course learning outcomes:

This course provides an overview of the key concepts needed for an understanding of calculus. Topics covered include: functions, the derivative, applications of the derivative, techniques of differentiation, integration, applications of integration to probability and statistics, and multidimensional calculus.

Required course materials:

Calculus and Its Applications, 10th edition, by Bittinger/Ellenbogen/Surgent; published by Addison-Wesley. The platforms Canvas and Gradescope will be used to communicate and submit assignments. Note that the textbook is posted on the Canvas page!

Grading policy:

Final grades will be determined as the maximum of (1) the weighted average of Quizzes (20%),  Midterm Exams (50%), and the Final Exam(30%) and (2) the grade of the Final Exam.

Attendance policy:

N/A

Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Core IMPACTS statement(s) (if applicable):

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the STEM area.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question: How do I ask scientific questions or use data, mathematics, or technology to understand the universe?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome: Students will use the scientific method and laboratory procedures or mathematical and computational methods to analyze data, solve problems, and explain natural phenomena.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies: Inquiry and Analysis, Problem-Solving, and Teamwork.

Instructor First Name:
Amanda
Instructor Last Name:
Hampton
Section:
E, G
CRN (you may add up to five):
34828
27200
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Mathematics

Applied Combinatorics

Last Updated: Mon, 12/15/2025
Course prefix:
MATH
Course number:
3012
Semester:
Spring
Academic year:
2026
Course description:

This course covers elementary combinatorial techniques and proof methods used in discrete problem solving.

Course learning outcomes:

This semester, we’ll learn a lot of specific knowledge and tools. But we have some overall goals to work towards- by the end of the semester, we hope you’ll be able to:

  • Apply basic counting techniques, and combine them to solve more complex problems
  • Prove statements at the appropriate level using the principles of induction, inclusion/exclusion, and other combinatorial methods
  • Solve problems at an appropriate level using recurrence relations, generating functions, and tools and ideas from graph theory
  • In the above areas, communicate and documentyour mathematical reasoning and process effectively
Required course materials:

There is no required textbook for this course; the posted notes will be your primary reference. Some helpful supplementary resources are listed below: Grimaldi is relatively inexpensive to obtain (and used copies should be affordable) and the others are free. 

Grading policy:

Your final grade will be computed as follows:

Active Engagement (Homework and attendance- see attendance policy): 25%

Midterm and final exams (see below): 75%

 

To afford you the opportunity to recover from a poor midterm or de-emphasize the final exam based on excellent performance throughout the semester, your exam grades will be calculated using whichever of the following systems yields the higher grade: 

(1) Each of three midterms worth 15%, Final Exam worth 30%

(2) Each of three midterms worth 20%, Final Exam worth 15%. 

 

 

Attendance policy:
  • Attendance: Studies and anecdotal experience alike suggest that regular attendance is extremely advantageous to your success in your courses (data available on request). To recognize your dedication and provide you with some accountability, attendance will be taken each day via in-class polling using Canvas quizzes. However, we realize that regular attendance is less advantageous for some students than others, and you may not wish your grade to be dependent on your presence in class. Thus you have two options:
    • If you opt in to mandatory attendance, it will be worth 5% of your grade (and homework worth 20%). Of course everyone has legitimate reasons for imperfect attendance, and you are allowed up to 3 unexcused absences with full credit. That is, there are 23 non-exam days after the first week, and you will be graded out of 20 days (with a maximum grade of 100%).
    • If you opt out of mandatory attendance, you can still attend and participate as often as you’re able, but this will not count toward your grade. In this case, your homework will be worth the full 25% of your Active Engagement grade. 
Academic honesty/integrity statement:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.

Instructor First Name:
Kalila
Instructor Last Name:
Lehmann
Section:
A
CRN (you may add up to five):
31314
View PDF
Department (you may add up to three):
Mathematics
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