Math 3500 Moderny Algebra

Spring 2011

MWF 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM in John Barry 202A


Course Information ----- Homework ----- Exams

Course Information

 Instructor: Prof. Jen Paulhus
e-mail: jennifer [dot] paulhus [at] villanova [dot] edu
web site: http://www.csc.villanova.edu/~jpaulhus/teaching/ma3500sp11.html
Text: Contemporary Abstract Algera, Joseph Gallian
Syllabus: We will cover many topics in Parts I, II, and III of the book. Click here for a daily list of material covered. A pdf version of the syllabus may be found here.

Grading
  • Homework: Homework assignments will be due at the beginning of class on Fridays. Assignments will be listed below. No late homework will be accepted but I will drop your lowest homework score. Homework is 33% of your grade.
  • Exams: There will be two in-class exams, on February 21 and April 4. The two exams will be 17% each.
  • Final: There will be a final which will count for 33% of your grade. The final exam is Wednesday, May 4 from 10:45 AM - 1:15 PM. Do not make plans to go home early.

    • Some notes
  • Your final grade in this course will reflect your performance throughout the whole semester. Except for a possible bonus question on the exams and an occasional challenge homework problem, there will be no extra credit and you cannot retake an exam nor redo homework.
  • Make sure you are familiar with the Academic Integrity Code. Any violations of it will result in an automatic zero for that assignment or exam.
  • I encourage you to work together to solve homework problems but everyone must write their own solutions. Any copied problems on these assignments will result in a zero for the whole assignment.
  • No makeup exams will be given unless agreed to beforehand.
  • Cell phone or computer usage is strictly prohibited during class.
  • There are a few basic courtesies I expect from my students: please show up on time, please do not leave in the middle of class unless it is an emergency, and please keep conversations among yourselves during class to an absolute minimum.
  • Any student with a disability who needs special accommodations or other assistance in this course should make an appointment to speak with me as soon as possible.

    • Unsolicited Advice
  • You're not in calculus anymore. "Plug and Chug" or just mindlessly following in-class examples won't cut it. One major goal of the class is to teach you how to think about the problems and explain your solutions like a mathematician. Like any new subject, this requires learning the language we use and the conventions for explaining our work. The best way to do this is to practice, practice, practice.
  • Whenever you can, read ahead in the material. A list of planned topics for future classes will be regularly updated above.
  • Most of you will be challenged a lot during the semester. Be prepared to not "get" everything right away.
  • Work together when you can.
  • If you are struggling, come to see me early. If you wait until a week before the final, there isn't much I can do to help you.


    • Homework

     Homework assignments are due at the beginning of the class date listed below. If you work with others on the homework, list their names at the top of the page. This is purely for bookkeeping purposes and will not affect your score whatsoever.

    The grading rubric for homework and some guidelines may be found here.

    HW  Due date
    Assignment
    		 Challenge Problem
    # 1 Jan. 21 Ch. 2 pg. 52-55 # 4, 11, 14, 18, 28       Ch. 0 pg. 21-25 # 1, 2, 8, 52, 53
    # 2 Jan. 28 Ch. 0 pg. 21-25 # 15, 20, 21, 56,       Extra Problems
    ✓
    # 3 Feb. 4 Ch. 0 pg. 21-25 # 13, 17, 18, 23, 31
    # 4 Feb. 11 Ch. 1 pg. 35-38 #2, 3,       Ch. 2 pg. 52-55 # 8, 10, 21, 34       Ch. 3 pg. 64-69 # 1, 6, 16, 18
    ✓
    # 5 Feb. 18. Ch. 3 pg. 64-69 #20, 23, 32,       Ch. 4 pg. 81-86 # 4, 10, 18, 32, 40, 60
    ✓
    # 6 Mar. 11 Ch. 5 pg. 113-117 # 2, 3, 12, 13
    #7 Mar. 18 Ch. 8 pg. 167-170 #2, 3, 6, 7, 14       Ch. 6 pg. 133-136 #5
    ✓
    # 8 Mar. 25 Ch. 6 pg. 133-136 #8, 10, 15, 25, 34
    # 9
    		Apr. 1 Ch. 10 pg. 211-215 #2, 9       Ch. 7 pg. 149-152 #2, 8, 14, 15, 26
    # 10 Apr. 15 Ch. 9 pg. 193-198 #2, 4, 7, 9, 16, 43       Ch. 10 pg. 211-215 #46
    ✓
    #11 Apr. 27 Ch. 12 pg. 242-245 #6, 18       Ch. 13 pg. 255-258 #4, 16, 20&21, 38       Ch. 14 pg. 269-273 #6, 21, 27
    ✓

    Up

    Exams

     Exams will be given in-class on the two Mondays mentioned above. The exams will be closed books, closed notes, etc.

    The exam will have three types of questions: (1) definitions, (2) simple computations or direct applications of a theorem from class, and (3) problems that require combining several results or definitions from class.

    A list of topics we have covered in the course to study for the final is here.

    Up

    Last Updated: April 27, 2011