Math. 311                                         Spring 1999

                     HOMEWORK SUMMARY REPORT


  Assignment number:     11     
    
  Problem number:  7.1.8

  Number of papers received:  10

  Reviewing committee (Greek letter):  Lambda     

  List all participating members: Barbara Davis and Ronald Linton



  Author[s] of paper[s] chosen for publication:  ...                 



  Comments:  We had several papers and all had correct solutions. We chose
the paper that explained the calculations thoroughly and completely.

INSTRUCTOR'S COMMENT:  Many people (including the author of the solution
inherited from fall '98) simply assumed that the determinant of a
"backwards diagonal" matrix is the product of the elements on the
diagonal.  That happens to be true in this case (part (a)), but there are
sign subtleties in general.  See the new Exercise 7.1.11, and Question 7
of the fall '98 final exam.  I regret that the commentary on the fall '98
solution was missing from the Web until now.