It is almost 1:30am now, I just got back form MC to mark the Linear Algebra Assignment, and before I forget, here are some mistakes I have seen students make:
- To prove some linear combinations of linearly independent vectors are also linearly independent: “a, b, c, d, e are linearly independent, so they have trivial solutions, therefore, the linear combinations of them must have trivial solutions as well, hence proven”. (This is the original answer quoted) I know they are, but come on, why do I need to give you 3 marks for telling me that bit, show me!
- The first one is much better than the one I saw before, in the last assignment: “it is very obvious that (the results asked to be proved in the question), hence (the results asked to prove)”…errr…I think I am literate, even if I am not, it would not help if he just tell me the same words in the question right?
- Ok, this one will make any mathie puke:
Some matrix * a diagonal but not identity matrix = some matrix * identity matrix = some matrix
If we can do that to linear algebra…I guess we do not need to spend 2 terms to learn linear algebra, everything would be so simple.
I remembered that I saw this friend of mine just now on my way to cafeteria, he was taking CS134 some terms ago and now he is teaching it. What he told me was that in CS134, they do not even teach methods anymore and stepwise refinement is no longer required!
I know Waterloo is short of cash (as if…), but hey, if that means Waterloo has to lower its standard and get students who are not mathematically inclined enough to be in mathematics or who are not CS-smart enough to write complicated Java program…I am not sure how long would Waterloo be the Number One in Maclean’s anymore…
