IITM BS Math for Electronics II (MA2101): Syllabus and Tips

Math for Electronics II (MA2101) is a 4 credit maths course in the IITM BS in Electronic Systems. The Sep 2025 syllabus lists it at the diploma level. Its weekly plan is mostly linear algebra: vectors, matrices, eigenvalues, inner products and least squares. It ends with the DFT and Fourier series. You need Math for Electronics I (MA1101) before it.

The syllabus names Prof. Andrew Thangaraj of the Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, as the instructor.

Where the sources disagree

• Level and code. The syllabus lists MA2101 as a diploma course. The handbook puts "MA4101 Math for Electronics II" in its list of degree level core courses.
• Credits. The syllabus gives 4 credits. The handbook's main course table does not include this course, so the handbook gives no credit value.
• Timing. The handbook's prerequisite section lists MA2101 as a corequisite of Signals and Systems. The medium and fastest study plans put the two in the same term.
• Prerequisite. The handbook lists MA1101 as a corequisite, not a prerequisite. MA1101 is a foundation course, so you will have it done anyway.

The syllabus also disagrees with itself. Its short description talks about series, differential equations and multivariable calculus, and most of its book list is calculus books. The weekly plan below is linear algebra and Fourier analysis. Go by the weekly plan.

What you learn in Math for Electronics II

• Weeks 1 to 4: linear algebra in two dimensions. Vectors, span, basis and change of basis. Linear transformations as matrices, with range, null space and rank. Eigenvalues, eigenvectors and diagonalisation, with rotation and scaling as examples. Inner products, angles, the adjoint and least squares fitting.
• Weeks 5 to 8: the same ideas in n dimensions. Real and complex vector spaces, determinants, multiplicities of eigenvalues and when a matrix can be diagonalised. Gram-Schmidt, orthonormal bases, projections and least squares. Adjoints, the four fundamental subspaces and self-adjoint operators.
• Weeks 9 and 10: applications. Quadratic forms and symmetric matrices, oscillation modes, covariance matrices, positive semi-definite matrices and graphs. Then circulant matrices, the Fourier basis and the discrete Fourier transform (DFT).
• Weeks 11 and 12: signals as vectors. Sequence and function spaces, orthonormal bases for signals, approximation by projection, and Fourier series in both sine and complex exponential form. Week 12 is a summary.

Who finds it hard and how to prepare

Students who expect a calculus course get a surprise. The ideas are abstract, and complex vector spaces feel strange at first.

• Use the linear algebra book on the list, Linear Algebra and its Applications by G. Strang. It matches the weekly plan far better than the calculus books do.
• In weeks 1 to 4, draw pictures. See each transformation as what it does to a unit square.
• Work small 2 by 2 and 3 by 3 examples by hand until eigenvalues feel routine.
• Revise complex numbers from Maths I before week 4, when complex inner products start.
• If the course runs as a diploma course, the handbook rule on worked-out assignment sheets applies to all diploma courses. Keep your written steps.

What to take before and after

Before: Math for Electronics I. With it: Signals and Systems (EE2101), which covers Fourier series in weeks 7 and 8. Later, Digital Signal Processing (EE3101) spends its last two weeks on the DFT. See the ES study plans for where it fits.

Common questions

Is Math for Electronics II a diploma or a degree course?

The syllabus says diploma. The handbook's degree core list says degree, under the code MA4101. The study plans place it early, next to Signals and Systems. Check your registration page and ask support if it matters for your plan.

Should I take it in the same term as Signals and Systems?

The handbook's prerequisite section lists it as a corequisite of Signals and Systems, so the same term (or earlier) fits. The comfortable study plan puts Signals and Systems one term before it, which does not match that rule. Ask support if you follow that plan.

Do I need calculus for this course?

Less than you might think. Most of the plan is matrices and vectors. Calculus from Maths I helps in week 11, where functions are treated as vectors for Fourier series.