Linear Algebra and Applications

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisite: course 3B or 31B or 32A with grade of C- or better. Introduction to linear algebra: systems of linear equations, matrix algebra, linear independence, subspaces, bases and dimension, orthogonality, least-squares methods, determinants, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, matrix diagonalization, and symmetric matrices. P/NP or letter grading.

Review Summary

Clarity
6.7 / 10
Organization
6.7 / 10
Time
0-5 hrs/week
Overall
6.7 / 10

Reviews

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2023 In-Person
    Grade: A

    Personally never went to lectures and studied off of the textbook. If you understand the textbook content and practice exams well, you'll do fine. Weekly homework and discussion homework, but the discussion homework is gone over during discussion. Previous midterms/finals are very similar to what's given (but with a twist that can change the answer to the question). There are three grading schemes, one being considering both midterms, considering only one midterm, and considering just the final. This means that theoretically if you got a 100 on the homework and discussion, and you failed both midterms, you would just need a 90 on the final to get an A.

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2023 In-Person
    Grade: A

    the class is very abstract and its important to conceptually understand the topics. The professor is really bad , and is all over the place. The homeworks are pretty chill tho which I like. Overall good class, and sets u up for future linear algebra based classes.

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2023 In-Person
    Grade: B

    His midterms were very conceptual rather than computational. The homework was super reasonable and discussions weren’t mandatory, but you do have to turn in an worksheet

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2023 In-Person
    Grade: B+

    Very confusing lectures and midterms were too long for 50 mins

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2023 In-Person
    Grade: A

    Ocal is decent at teaching the material and makes himself available and is a generally a compromising person. His exams aren't curved, but they're fair (averages in the 70s, I believe). Don't believe the low BruinWalk ratings, he deserves better for sure. I think he's been making a consistent effort to improve his teaching since the online Covid era.

    Make sure to read the textbook, and if you don't go to lecture, watch his recordings. Many of the exam questions are ripped straight from the textbook, so it'd help to familiarize yourself with both the homework problems and other non-homework problems in the book.

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2023 In-Person
    Grade: B

    Pablo is ok, he doesn't teach lectures too well but somewhat understandable. If you have no other classes to take then take this

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2023 In-Person
    Grade: B

    Somewhat easy class, if you can keep on eye on homework and prep test, you'll get a

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2023 In-Person
    Grade: A

    I self-studied almost all the content for this course. There were recordings but it was difficult to figure out what was on the board and what Pablo was saying. The good thing about him is that his exams had the same format as questions in the textbooks (and sometimes there were exact same questions).

Course

Instructor
Pablo S. Ocal
Previously taught
23F 22Su 22W

Grading Information

  • No group projects

  • Attendance not required

  • 2 midterms

  • Finals week final

  • 75% recommend the textbook

Previous Grades

Grade distributions not available.