Course contents document · University · generated 2026-07-15

Linear Algebra

11 core topics + 40 prerequisite topics taught as needed · approximately 13 hours of instruction including spaced review

How the course runs

An adaptive diagnostic (up to 40 questions) places the student on the course's knowledge graph — topics already known are credited, and instruction begins exactly at the learning frontier. Every topic is taught with a worked-example lesson and auto-graded practice; a topic is mastered at 75%+ and then maintained through spaced reviews on an expanding schedule. A cumulative quiz follows every 6 lessons. Prerequisite gaps below the course are detected and taught rather than skipped, so completion certifies the whole tower, not just the top.

Core curriculum

Linear Algebra · 11 topics

Vectors in Rⁿ [E] Ordered lists of numbers, added and scaled componentwise.
Dot Product & Norm [M] Multiply matching components and add; lengths and angles follow.
Matrix Addition & Scalar Multiples [E] Matrices add entry by entry; scalars multiply every entry.
Matrix Multiplication [M] Row times column: each entry of AB is a dot product.
Determinants [M] A single number that measures how a matrix scales area or volume.
Inverse of a 2×2 Matrix [H] Swap the diagonal, negate the off-diagonal, divide by the determinant.
Solving Ax = b [H] A linear system is one matrix equation.
Linear Independence [M] Vectors are dependent when one is a combination of the others.
Linear Transformations [M] Matrices are functions: they move every point of space linearly.
Eigenvalues of a 2×2 Matrix [H] The scaling factors along a matrix's special directions.
Eigenvectors [H] The directions a matrix merely stretches.

Prerequisite material — taught automatically when the diagnostic finds gaps

Arithmetic Foundations · 8 topics
Adding & Subtracting Whole Numbers Multi-digit addition and subtraction.
Multiplication Multiplying whole numbers.
Division Dividing whole numbers.
Order of Operations Parentheses first, then multiplication/division, then addition/subtraction.
Negative Numbers: Adding & Subtracting Working with numbers below zero on the number line.
Negative Numbers: Multiplying & Dividing Sign rules for products and quotients.
Exponents Repeated multiplication in shorthand.
Square Roots Undoing a square.
Fractions · 4 topics
Equivalent Fractions Different fractions can name the same amount.
Simplifying Fractions Reducing a fraction to lowest terms.
Multiplying Fractions Multiply straight across.
Dividing Fractions Multiply by the reciprocal.
Decimals, Percents & Ratios · 1 topics
Ratios & Proportions Two quantities that scale together.
Expressions & Equations · 6 topics
Evaluating Expressions Substituting a value for a variable.
Combining Like Terms Adding the coefficients of matching variable parts.
The Distributive Property Multiplying across a sum.
One-Step Equations Undoing a single operation.
Two-Step Equations Undo addition/subtraction first, then multiplication.
Multi-Step Equations Equations needing distribution or variables on both sides.
Linear Functions · 4 topics
The Coordinate Plane Locating points with (x, y) pairs.
Slope of a Line Rise over run between two points.
Slope-Intercept Form y = mx + b describes a whole line.
Systems of Equations (Substitution) Two equations, two unknowns.
Quadratics & Polynomials · 8 topics
Adding & Subtracting Polynomials Combining polynomials by collecting like terms.
Multiplying Binomials (FOIL) Expanding products of binomials.
Factoring Out the GCF Undoing the distributive property.
Factoring Trinomials Reversing FOIL: finding two numbers that multiply to c and add to b.
Special Factoring Patterns Difference of squares and perfect-square trinomials.
Solving x² = k Taking square roots of both sides — remembering ±.
Completing the Square Turning any quadratic into a perfect square plus a constant.
The Quadratic Formula x = (−b ± √(b² − 4ac)) / 2a solves any quadratic.
Geometry · 5 topics
Angle Relationships Vertical, complementary, and supplementary angle pairs.
Triangle Angle Sum The three angles of a triangle always add to 180°.
The Pythagorean Theorem In a right triangle, a² + b² = c².
Distance & Midpoint Measuring segments in the coordinate plane.
Similar Triangles Same shape, different size: corresponding sides are proportional.
Functions & Algebra II · 1 topics
Systems by Elimination Adding or subtracting equations to cancel a variable.
Trigonometry · 1 topics
Right-Triangle Trigonometry SOH-CAH-TOA: the three trig ratios of an acute angle in a right triangle.
Precalculus · 2 topics
Vectors: Components & Magnitude A vector is a displacement: components ⟨Δx, Δy⟩ and a length.
Vector Operations Scaling, adding, and dotting vectors — all component by component.

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