Outline

• Instructor
• Text
• Instructor Comments
• Attendance
• Evaluation
• Schedule Guesstimate

Instructor:

Stephen L. Davis; click here for my weekly schedule.

Text:

John B. Fraleigh, A First Course in Abstract Algebra (7e), Addison Wesley/Pearson, 2003

Instructor comments:

A survey of our projected progress through the text is given in the table below. Our goal is to develop your capacity for reading, writing, and speaking mathematics. The theories of groups and rings will serve as the principal objects of investigation in this course.

Class time will be divided between problem solving and lectures-on-demand. It is your responsibility to read the text and to engage in the struggle to achieve an understanding of the material before coming to class. I will attempt to illuminate those concepts that remain in the shadows in spite of your attempts to coax them out. Also, you will be asked to present problem solutions in class, and there will be regular written homework assignments for you to turn in for my inspection.

Collaboration on homework is encouraged, though anything you present or turn in should represent your understanding of the material. Homework is evaluated with letter grades.

There will be three reviews as indicated below. You will be tested on vocabulary, examples, and statements and proofs of major results, as well as on creative problem solving. Reviews will consist of two components: one to be completed on the designated day during class, and the other to "take home" and return at the start of the next class meeting. I anticipate that the final examination will be administered as a take home examination.

Attendance:

Come to every meeting; your absence will negatively impact your grade in this course. You are responsible for all material discussed in class, whether you are present or absent. Absences in excess of six (6) Mon-Wed-Fri classes will qualify you for a failing grade in this course. (Note: This class will meet on October 7 and 12, November 21 and on December 7.)

Evaluation:

The major components of your grade are the three reviews, homework, and the final examination. A recipe for the relative contributions of these components toward your grade in this course is roughly

• 6 parts reviews,
• 3 parts homework,
• 3 parts examination, and
• a pinch of "other."

(An explanation of my grading system is available in a web-based memo.)

Schedule Guesstimate: (volatile!)