Instructor: John Palmieri,
Padelford C-538, 543-1785
E-mail: palmieri@math.washington.edu
Class time and place: MWF 9:30,
Sieg 230
Office hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:30-2:30, Tuesday 10:30-11:30,
drop-in, and by appointment
Web page:
http://www.math.washington.edu/~palmieri/Math404/
Text book: Algebra by Michael Artin.
Examinations and grading. I will give weekly homework assignments; there will also be a midterm and a final exam. I will post the homework assignments on the course web page, and they will be due each Wednesday at 2:30pm, in my office. The midterm will take place, tentatively, on Wednesday, April 27. After I've graded the midterm, you will have a few days to correct some of your mistakes for some extra credit. I'll give you more details as the time approaches. The final exam will take place on Wednesday, June 8, 8:30-10:20. You will also prepare a portfolio of homework problems, due on Friday, May 27. The midterm is worth 20% of the grade, the final is worth 25%, the homework is worth 35%, and the portfolio is worth 20% (10% for content, and 10% for participation).
Reading and homework. The best way to learn mathematics is to do it, so you should read the book and do the homework problems. I will provide weekly reading assignments, and you can respond to them by sending me a reading report by Tuesday evening at 8:00 pm. This report should contain questions (and comments, if you want) about the reading. These reading assignments are optional, but if you do at least five of them, then I will drop your lowest homework score.
Feel free to work with other people on your homework, but you must write your solutions yourself. If you find a solution in a book or some other source, please provide a reference. A good approach for homework is to first try to do a problem on your own, and then if you run into difficulties, you can discuss the confusing issues with your classmates. Of course, you are certainly welcome to ask me or the TA for suggestions.
Portfolio. The portfolio is described on a separate sheet. We will spend a few class days working in groups to discuss these problems, and several times during the quarter, you will peer review each other's solutions. Your participation grade (10% of the total for the course) will be based on your involvement in these activities. The quality of the portfolio (both mathematical and writing) is worth another 10%.
Office hours. Feel free to drop by my office; if I'm there and not talking to someone else, I'm probably available to talk. If I'm not there, email is a good way to contact me, since I check it pretty regularly. I will not be in my office on most Thursdays.
Plan for the course. This quarter, we will be studying several topics, including modules, fields, and Galois theory (Chapters 12--14 from the book).
Other books. There are lots of fine algebra books out there, and it's often a good idea to look at different approaches to mathematical concepts. I haven't put any on reserve yet, but I may eventually. See the course web page for a list of books you might look at.