Florian Pop: Math 370 (Algebra)

Office/Phone/Fax: DRL 4E7A / 215-898-5971 / 215-573-4063

Office hours: Wed 2:00-3:00 PM and mainly by appointment

Teaching Assistant: Matti Astrand

E-mail: matti AT math.upenn.edu

Office/Phone/Fax: DRL 4C17 / 215-898-5196 / 215-573-4063

Office Hours: Monday and Thursday at 3-4 PM.

General Information

• See Penn Math course information
• Lecture class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 12--1 PM in DRL A7.
• Lab sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30-8:30 PM in DRL. The lab is an integral part of this course, and attendance is required.
• This is the first half of a year-long course on algebra, being followed by Math371. A similar, but more theoretical, sequence is Math 502-Math 503.
• Rigor is a basic tenet of this course. The students are expected to learn the language of rigorous mathematical argumentation and to be able to differentiate complete proofs from argumentation with gaps. The ability to write coherent mathematical proofs is necessary to achieve a passing grade.
• Syllabus: The material includes basic facts about set theory, algebraic structures (groups, rings, fields), linear algebra (modules, vector spaces, linear transformations and matrices). The basic source for the course is the book:

  Algebra: Abstract and Concrete, Edition 2.5, by Frederick M. Goodman.

  The book can be downloaded free of charge (but the author expects that the -intensive- users will make a donation to one of the following international institutions Unicef, Doctors without borders, or Oxfam, an idea which I am very impressed with and myself support and promote in strongest terms).

  We will cover parts of Appendix A, B, C, D, E and (usually the first few) sections of the Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 8. Concrete examples will be emphasized.

• Required background and Advice: It is expected that one knows the the basic high school (honors) algebra and elements of linear algebra in dimensions 2 and 3 (linear systems of equations, matrices, determinants, etc.) as done in advanced calculus courses. This kind of material will be used to give examples during the course, but will not be explained in the course. In order to check whether you are familiar with this material, try to solve the problems at the end of sections 1- 4 of Chapter 1 of the book above. (These sections will not be covered in class).
  
  
• Main textbook: Algebra: Abstract and Concrete, Edition 2.5, by Frederick M. Goodman
  
  
• Further suggested Reading:
  • Study the whole material of Algebra: Abstract and Concrete, Edition 2.5, by Frederick M. Goodman, and do all the exercises.
  • Dummit & Foote, Abstract Algebra. Contains many exercises.
    
  • Serge Lang, Algebra, Springer Verlag. Maybe difficult to read, but contains a very large amount of material.
    

Basic Rules:

• Final grade is based on: Three exams in class (15%+20%+30%), and everything else (35%). "Everything else" consists of regular homework, participation and performance in the lab sessions.

  Exam dates (tentatively): Oct 10, 2012 / Nov 12, 2012 / Dec 7, 2012.

• Miscelannia: Announcements, homework assignment, notes, sample problems, solutions will all be posted on web. No hard copies will be distributed. Please check this page frequently for the most updated information. Remember to use to RELOAD button of your browser.
• Homework:
  • Homework will be assigned each week, and in oder to see the homework please follow the links under Homework Math 370. The homework assignment of each week is tentatively due on Monday of the next week. Check with the TA to find the homework submission policy (which is set up by him).
  • Your works should contain complete, rigorous and logically correct proofs. (A reminder: Part of a rigorous and logically correct formulation of a proof is a grammatically correctly written proof.)
  • You are encouraged to work in groups and discuss/communicate as much as possible with each other. But the work you hand in must be your own write-up.
  • Late work will not be accepted.
• Lab Sessions:
  • The lab session is an integral part of this course, and thus attendance is required.
  • Students will be required to present their works during the lab sessions. This is a part of the training to construct and communicate mathematically correct proofs.

Info pages for undergraduate math:

• General Mathematics Undergraduate Information
• Information and advice for current and prospective Mathematics Majors.
• A list of courses in other departments that can be counted as Mathematics Electives in the major.
• Biological Mathematics major
• Mathematics Minor requirements
• The Actuarial Mathematics minor program

Back to Florian Pop's Home Page, respectively Teaching.