MATH 3300
Matrix Algebra
An introductory course in linear algebra that focuses on Euclidean n-space, matrices and related computations. Topics include: systems of linear equations, row reduction, matrix operations, determinants, linear independence, dimension, rank, change of basis, diagonalization, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, orthogonality, symmetric matrices, least square approximation, quadratic forms. Introduction to abstract vector spaces.
Instructors
Aliakbar Daemi, Andrew Green, Angel Roman, Brett Wick, Charles Ouyang, Cleon Yohe, Edward Wilson, Gregory Knese, Humberto Diaz, Ivan Horozov, Jack Shapiro, Jay Yang, Jesus Sanchez, Jimin Ding, John Shareshian, Kabe Moen, Karl Schaefer, Martha Hasting, Matthew Kerr, Minh Nguyen, Mohan Kumar, Quo-Shin Chi, Renato Feres, Ron Freiwald, Rudy Rodsphon, Silas Johnson, Steven Krantz, Victor Wickerhauser, Wanlin Li, Xiang Tang, Xuanyu Pan, Zhenghui Huo
Reviews
If you want to build your character... Become a boss of linear algebra... take this class, otherwise you will digress
4/24/2026
Shareshian is super kind and truly listens to student's opinions. He gives us study guide about exactly what is going to be on the exams. Exams are more about understanding than difficult calculations. He is teaching the matrix content with the most straightforward examples possible. Even if it's 300-level math, get a good grade is not hard.
1/12/2026
Very easy going professor, genuinely wish you could get an A for the class. He is super enthusiastic about matrix and math content in general and really listens to student's opinions. Gives us study guide on exactly what is going to be on the exam. The content might be a little abstract (this is a 300-level math class after all) but exams are easy.
1/12/2026
This was literally the easiest class I have taken at WashU. 85% of the grade was based on exams that sometimes included high school level math and were always significantly easier than whatever the other sections were being tested on. This is the definition of a class you take if you dont need to learn the content but want an easy A.
12/22/2025
Leaps and bounds the best professor I've had at WashU! Exams are worth 85% of your grade, but NEVER did I ever feel like he was trying to trick me––simply seeing if we had understood the material. His office hours are INCREDIBLE! I would come with so many questions and always leave incredibly relieved. His passion for the material is infectious.
12/12/2025
The nicest professor ever. If you have to take matrix, take it with him. He genuinely wants students to understand the material and never tries to trick you, he's clear about what he expects. Go to office hours!
12/11/2025
Shareshian is super nice. He really cares about how people do in the class and asked for feedback throughout the semester. Really helpful in office hours. Would recommend.
12/6/2025
Very accessible during office hours and over email, always around to help!
12/2/2025
Great professor. Took topology with him, and it was a difficult, but rewarding class. Recommended for anyone who loves math. Beware, the exams will kick your ass
11/17/2025
Easiest class . He let us drop 2 exams and they only one that counted was an easy 100
11/11/2025
He is awesome and willing to help. Great lectures and problem sets that help you prepare for the tests.
10/21/2025
I didn't learn much from his lectures, so I studied the textbook and that's when the concepts began clicking. I also wasn't used the how much small mistakes would impact my grade. Each point was 5% of the test grade (50 minutes each, 20 points total). He focused the lectures on a lot of the theory and proofs but not the topics in the homework.
5/17/2025
He's a good guy, and that's probably the most important thing. But he's also very weird. And not the most entertaining lecturer. And he records lectures and doesn't care about attendance so very low motivation to go/pay attention. However, clearly passionate about the subject and gives VERY fair tests. Wouldn't take him again but easy A if you try.
5/14/2025
Strong and thoughtful explanations. Lectures more theoretical than anticipated, which was nice. Short exams w/MCs allow for many opportunities to lose pts, but MCs, along w/the computations and explanation problems, weren't that hard. Material builds on itself, so a strong foundation with early content makes it easy to understand new content.
5/9/2025
Prof. Johnson constantly stressed the importance of understanding, yet the structure of the course didn't support that. Exams were rushed and heavily weighted, homework felt disconnected from lectures, and office hours were overcrowded and unhelpful. The course felt more punishing than instructive, which was disappointing.
5/9/2025
I never showed up to lecture but Johnson posts recordings and a ton of other resources on Canvas. The material seems like it's being taught very fast but the exams always end up being reasonable -- also you get a mini cheat-sheet which is crucial since this class covers a lot of arbitrary-seeming rules and theorems.
5/8/2025
He is excited about what he teaches, which is nice, but his grading policy is extremely harsh. The in-class exams are rushed, and all the midterms are given in 50 minutes. These exams determine more than 60% of your grade, which makes the course dreadful. His lectures are fast-paced, and I don't have time to digest the information he throws at us.
4/28/2025
Great professor and clearly knows/ is excited about the math he teaches. Only qualm that I had with this course was the in-class exams. The questions had significant weight since there were so few. It was stressful to prepare and stressful to take. Tests are also 75% of grade, so 150 minutes of midterms count for 50% of the course (final is 2hrs).
4/26/2025
Johnson has a big heart for what he does, both as a mathematician and as a lecturer. He is so genuinely interested in the course material and deeply cares about being a good professor and taking questions seriously. I highly recommend. Especially for this class, there's a lot of online resources out there, but Silas will get you excited to learn.
4/24/2025