TIME: TR 6-7:15 PM

PLACE: PHY 118

INSTRUCTOR: W. Edwin Clark
   Office: PHY 326 A
   Office Hours: MWF 3:00 to 3:50. (Also, immediately after class or by appointment.)
   Email: eclark@math.usf.edu ( I read my email frequently.)
   Homepage: http://www.math.usf.edu/~eclark/ (This information will be on my homepage in case you lose it. You may also go there if you are curious about my research and academic genealogy.)

TEXT: Elementary Abstract Algebra by W. Edwin Clark.   The text can be obtained from the Copy Center  (which is located under the south-east corner of the USF Book Store)  for the cost of reproduction and binding ---about $7.00.

MATERIAL TO BE COVERED: Students will be responsible for all material presented in the class lectures and/or distributed to the class,  as well as the text. The plans are to cover the entire text and work all the problems in the text. The main topics covered are binary operations, groups, subgroups, direct products,  isomorphism, cosets, Lagrange's Theorem, introduction to ring theory, axiomatic treatment of the reals, rationals, integers, complex numbers and quaternions.

PREQUISITES:  MAS 3105 Linear Algebra and MGF 3301 Bridge to Abstract Mathematics. (Note that MGF 3301 is a prerequisite for MAS 3105 and MAS 3105 is a prerequisite for MAS 4301.)

TUESDAY QUIZZES:  Every Tuesday after the first day of classes (unless there is a holiday or other type of exam) there will be a short quiz on definitions and examples that have been covered previously in class. Definitons must be stated using complete sentences with proper grammar and punctuation. Examples must be described precisely.   I highly recommend that students practice writing out the definitions before hand. There will be no makeup quizzes for the Tuesday Quizzes.  Students arriving late will not be able to make up the quiz. However, I will drop the two lowest Tuesday Quiz scores.

HOMEWORK: I will collect all assigned homework, but due to time constraints will grade only a few randomly selected problems from each set. Collection times will be announced in advance.  Collection times will usually be Tuesdays.  No late homework will be accepted.  However, I will drop the two lowest Homework Scores.

SEGMENT EXAMS:  The material to be covered on each exam will be made clear a few days in advance of the exam date. (These dates are subject to change if circumstances warrant.)

     Exam 1. Tuesday,  February 5.
     Exam 2. Tuesday,  March 5.
     Exam 3. Tuesday,  April 23.

FINAL EXAM: Thursday,  May 2,  6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in  PHY 118 . The Final Exam will be comprehensive, that is, it will cover everything in the course.

MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY:  There will be no make-ups for exams, quizzes, or homework.  However, I will drop the lowest of Exams 1, 2 and 3. Also I will drop the two lowest Homework scores and the two lowest Tuesday Quiz scores.

GRADES:  Each student will have 5 grades: Two Segment Exam grades (after the lowest of the three is dropped), Homework grade, Tuesday Quizzes grade and Final Exam grade. The Course Grade will be the average of these 5 grades or the Grade made on the Final Exam--whichever is higher.  There will be no curve. The following scale will be used to convert the Course Grade to a  Letter Grade:

98-100 = A+,  93-97 = A,   90-92 = A-,
88-89   = B+,  83-87 = B,   80-82 = B-,
78-79   = C+,  73-77 = C,   70-72 = C-,
68-69   = D+,  63-67 = D,  60-62 = D-,
0-59     = F.

CLASS MAILING LIST. It is important that you sign up for the class mailing list which is called abstract_algebra.  This list may be used to distribute information to the class. The easiest way to join is to go to the course website which may be reached by going to my homepage http://www.math.usf.edu/~eclark/ and clicking on the link to this course.  Then scroll down to this spot and click on the link Join abstract_algebra below. Then when the form comes up type in your name and email address.  Leave everything else the same. Then click on the Save button.

You should receive a welcoming message to the list almost immediately. If you don't receive a welcoming message (at your email address) let me know and I will see what the problem is.  The welcoming message will expain how to use the mailing list.

IMPORTANT DATES:

First day of classes:  Monday, January 7
Martin Luther King Holiday:  Monday, January 21
Spring Break:  March 11-16
Withdrawal (W grade) deadline is March 22 at 5 PM
Last day of classes:  Friday, April 26
Final Exams:  April 27-May 3