Math 850 (Fall 2026)

Math 850 - Numerical Analysis I

Fall 2026

Professor: Jianliang Qian

Office

Phone

Email

Lecture Hours: MWF 9:10AM-10:00AM
Location: Wells Hall A302
Professor's Office Hours: M 4-5 PM and by appointment

Teaching Assistant: Dr. Sining Gong; Email: gongsini@msu.edu
TA's Recitation Sessions: Tue: 2:00 PM-3:20 PM; Location: Wells Hall C329
TA's Office Hours: Schedule by Appointment

Course Website for Communication: MSU D2L Course Website: MTH 850 Fall 2026

Description and Contents (Syllabus)
Numerical Analysis I/Numerical Linear Algebra is mainly about numerical linear algebra which is the foundation for computational mathematics and scientific computing. The following topics are intended to be covered (tentatively):

Triangulation and Schur complement;
Least squares and linear systems;
Eigenvalue problems;
Iterative methods.

Required Textbook

N. Trefethen and D. Bau, III, Numerical Linear Algebra, SIAM, 1997.

Recommended Textbook

G. Golub and C. Van Loan, Matrix Computation, Johns Hopkins U. Press, 1996.

Attendance Policy

Enrolled students are required to participate in the class at the course lecture time.

Homework Assignments

This will be a computationally intensive course, including programming and written assignments.
The computational problems will utilize MATLAB, but other languages (Fortran, C, C++, Python, etc) are acceptable as well.
Homework assignments will be posted on the D2L website as lectures go.
The written part of homework assignments should be in the PDF format.
Homework assignments should be submitted on the D2L website according to the specified due time. Late homework submission is not accepted.

Final Project

The final project will be posted at least two weeks ahead of the final week.
The written part of the final project should be in the PDF format.
The final project should be submitted on the D2L website according to the specified due time. Late submission is not accepted.

Final Exam

Final Exam: Thursday, 12/17/2026 from 7:45 AM - 9:45 AM in Wells Hall A302.
The final exam will be closed book.

Change in Syllabus
There may be adjustment to the syllabus during the semester. These changes will be announced in class or by email. The students should be responsible for following any of syllabus change.

Grading based on

Assignments (65%), Final Project (10%), Final Exam (20%), and Class Participation (5%)
Grading scale: 4.0: 90% - 100%; 3.5: 85% - 89%; 3.0: 80% - 84%; 2.5: 75% - 79%; 2.0: 70% - 74%; 1.5: 65%-69%; 1.0: 60%-64%; 0.0: below 60%.

Important Dates

Class Begins: 08/31/2026.
Open adds end: 09/04/2026.
Labor Day: Monday, 09/07/2026. University closed.
Fall break dates are Monday, 10/26/2027 - Tuesday, 10/27/2026.
Thanksgiving: Thursday, 11/26/2026 - Friday, 11/27/2026. University closed.
Class Ends: 12/13/2026.

Academic Honesty

Intellectual integrity is the foundation of the scientific enterprise. In all instances, you must do your own work and give proper credit to all sources that you use in your papers and oral presentations - any instance of submitting another person's work, ideas, or wording as your own counts as plagiarism. This includes failing to cite any direct quotations in your essays, research paper, class debate, or written presentation. Further details regarding academic integrity are provided at the link: https://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/academic-integrity/ and MSU's Policies on academic integrity specified in General Student Regulation 1.0, Protection of Scholarship and Grades; the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades; and Ordinance 17.00, Examinations. (See Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Re- source Guide). In addition, University policy requires that any cheating offense, regardless of the magnitude of the infraction or punishment decided upon by the professor, be reported immediately to the dean of the student's college.

It is important to note that plagiarism in the context of this course includes, but is not limited to, directly copying another student's solutions to in-class or homework problems; copying materials from online sources, textbooks, or other reference materials without citing those references in your source code or documentation, or having somebody else do your in- class work or homework on your behalf. Any work that is done in collaboration with other students should state this explicitly, and have their names as well as yours listed clearly. More broadly, we ask that students adhere to the Spartan Code of Honor academic pledge, as written by the Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU): "As a Spartan, I will strive to uphold values of the highest ethical standard. I will practice honesty in my work, foster honesty in my peers, and take pride in knowing that honor is worth more than grades. I will carry these values beyond my time as a student at Michigan State University, continuing the endeavor to build personal integrity in all that I do."

Accommodations

RCPD: If you have a university-documented learning difficulty or require other accommodations, please provide me with your VISA (verified individual services accommodation) and speak with me about how I can assist you in your learning. If you do not have a VISA but have been documented with a learning difficulty or other problems for which you may still require accommodation, please contact MSU's Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD; TEL: 517-355-9642 (voice), 517-355-1293 (TTY); and website of RCPD: https://www.rcpd.msu.edu) in order to acquire current documentation.

CAPS: Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is available to help students who are seeking help for a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, stress management, homesickness, adjustment or acculturation, relationships, gender identity and sexual orientation (LBGTQ) concerns, substance abuse, trauma, eating or body image concerns, and other personal mental health concerns. CAPS is free for you to use and confidential. CAPS is located in the Olin Health Center on the third floor, however, there are also CAPS Connect locations throughout campus. CAPS Connect provides brief consultations with no appointment needed. CAPS Connect is in the Engineering Building, Room 1415, on Wednesdays from 3:30-5 pm. A list of other CAPS Connect Locations can be found here: https://caps.msu.edu/services/CAPSConnect.html#where. More information on CAPS and their services can be found here: https://caps.msu.edu/index.html.

Religious Observation Policy

MSU is home to a diverse and multicultural community of students, faculty, and staff which we value and actively support to observe days set aside by their chosen religious faith. The Religious Observance Policy states, ``It is the responsibility of those students who need to be absent to inform their instructor at least two weeks before the observance day, make arrangements in advance with their instructors, and to catch up on any material discussed and assignments given during that class period.'' Please remember to contact your instructors early in the semester if such arrangements are needed.

Generative AI Information

The use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Dall-e, etc.) is permitted in this course for the following activities: Brainstorming and refining your ideas; Fine tuning your research questions; Finding information on your topic; Drafting an outline to organize your thoughts; and Checking grammar and style.

The use of generative AI tools is not permitted in this course for the following activities: Impersonating you in classroom contexts, such as by using the tool to compose discussion board prompts assigned to you or content that you put into a Zoom chat; Completing group work that your group has assigned to you, unless it is mutually agreed within your group and in alignment with course policy that you may utilize the tool; Writing a draft of a writing assignment; Writing entire sentences, paragraphs or papers to complete class assignments.

back