Santiago Canyon College
Math 287, Introduction to Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
Spring 2015
Hello,
I hope that you’ve had a pleasant winter break.
My name is Randy Scott (you will call me Mr. Scott) and I’d like to welcome you to Math 287, Introduction
to Linear Algebra and Differential Equations #95006.
Our class will be held at Santiago Canyon College, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:30 pm until 10:00
pm (1930-2200 hours for you military personnel.) Our first class meeting is February 10, 2015. We are
scheduled to meet in SC-111.
Currently our class is full with a wait list. If you are not serious about completing this course, please drop
and make room for another student. If you are on the wait list, receipt of this letter in no way guarantees
admission to the course.
The textbook is “Differential Equations and Linear Algebra”, third edition, by Stephen Goode and Scott
Annin. The ISBN number is 978-0-13-045794-3 Math 287, Introduction to Linear Algebra and Differential
Equations, is the ultimate lower division mathematics course. You can think of the course as the fourth
semester of calculus–we’ll be doing LOTS of differentiation and integration–as well as the stepping stone
to upper division courses in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, or economics. This is an
intense mathematics course. Here at SCC, you earn 5 units for Math 287 (for your previous Calculus courses
you earned 4 units.) Thus, if you are taking a full load, this course should (and will) occupy one-third of
your study time. To be successful in this course, I would recommend that you plan to spend at least 15
hours each week studying for this course, in addition to the five hours we will be in class. Yep, you’ll be very
busy.
Since we’ll be doing lots of integration and differentiation from the first day of class, I think all of us would
benefit by using the next week to review concepts and practice skills from Calculus I, II, and III that you
need to be comfortable applying and using.
We will be using every algebra skill you’ve ever learned to simplify expressions, solve rational equations,
simplify and solve exponential and logarithmic expressions and equations, and to manipulate expressions
into particular forms. Here is a link to an excellent review:
http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Extras/AlgebraTrigReview/AlgebraTrigIntro.aspx
As you review, carefully examine each problem. If you are 100% sure that you know exactly what to do, then
go onto the next topic. If you are less than 100% sure, then do practice problems until you can complete an
exercise without looking at the solution.
By the way, Paul’s Online Math Notes are an outstanding resource to keep in mind. I like his review because
he includes solutions (not just answers) and explanations. In addition, his ”cheat sheets” are an excellent
one page resource:
tutorial.math.lamar.edu/pdf/Common_Derivatives_Integrals_Reduced.pdf
We will be doing some differentiation, so you must be familiar with the differentiation techniques that you
learned in first-semester calculus. In addition to all the basic derivatives, product rule and quotient rule, we
will use implicit differentiation a great deal.
tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/ChainRule.aspx
and
tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/ImplicitDiff.aspx
Integration is a skill that is critical to your success in this course. You must know the basic integrals, along
with substitution, parts, partial fractions, and when to use which.
tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/SubstitutionRuleIndefinite.aspx
tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/SubstitutionRuleIndefinitePtII.aspx
2
tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/SubstitutionRuleDefinite.aspx
tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcII/IntegrationByParts.aspx
tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcII/PartialFractions.aspx
tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcII/IntegrationStrategy.aspx
I would appreciate a reply indicating that you received this message at the email address that you gave to
the school. Please tell me your name, where and when you took third semester calculus, and something nice
about yourself.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me.
Sincerely,
Randy Scott
scott_randy@sccollege.edu
www.sccollege.edu/rscott