TIME: TR 6-7:15 PM

PLACE: PHY 118

INSTRUCTOR: W. Edwin Clark

EMAIL: eclark@math.usf.edu Homepage:  http://www.math.usf.edu/~eclark/

PHONE: 974-9559

OFFICE:  326 A PHY

OFFICE HOURS: TR 5:00 to 5:50 and W 3:00 to 3:50. (Also immediately after class or by appointment.)

TEXT: Elementary Abstract Algebra by W. Edwin Clark.   The text can be obtained from the Copy Center (formerly Quick Copy)  in the lower level of the USF Book Store for the cost of reproduction and binding. [Cost this year will be about $9.00].  Or you may download the postscript file by clicking HERE.[The file is set up to be printed on both sides of the page. Note this text is updated each time I use it. So students taking the course should not download the file until the announcement is made on my homepage for the course you are taking.]

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 (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.  There will be no makeup quizzes for the Tuesday Quizzes. And students arriving late will not be able to take the exam. However, I will drop the lowest two Tuesday Quiz scores.

HOMEWORK:  On exams students will be responsible for all problems in the part of the text covered by the exam beingtaken. Homework will be collected and randomly graded. That is,  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. No late homework will be accepted. However, I will drop the lowest two 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. (Dates subject to change with a one-week notice.)

     Exam 1. Tuesday, February 6.
     Exam 2. Thursday, March 8.
     Exam 3. Thursday, April 19.

FINAL EXAM: Thursday,  May 3,  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.  It will also act as a "universal" makeup exam for any missed segment exams.

GRADES:  I will use the following method to compute your course grade:  Let G1 be the average of grades on Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3, Homework, and the Tuesday Quizzes. Let G2 be the number obtained by replacing the lowest of the grades on  Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3 by the grade obtained on the Final Exam and taking the average as in G1. The Course Grade will be maximum of the numbers G1, G2,  and the Final Exam grade. [Thus, students satisfied with their G1 number will not have to take the Final Exam.]

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 will 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 page 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 8
Martin Luther King Holiday:  Monday, January 15
Spring Break:  March 12-17
Last day of classes:  Friday, April 27
Final Exams:  April 28-May 4