Syllabus for Math 351: Introduction to Abstract Algebra
Section 03 (Fall 2006)

Text: Thomas W. Hungerford, Abstract Algebra: An Introduction, 2nd Edition, Brooks-Cole, 1997, ISBN 0-03-010559-5 ($50 used -- see AddAll.com for a comparison of prices).

Web Page: http://www.math.rutgers.edu/~wjcook/ma351-fall2006. I will post news and announcements to the course webpage periodically. A list of suggested homework problems will be available on the webpage.

Meeting times: The lecture will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:20pm until 4:40pm in the Science and Engineering Resource Center on Busch Campus in room 207.
After the lecture on Monday we will have a workshop session from 5:00pm until 6:20pm in SEC room 204.

Final Exam: Wednesday, December 20th, 12:00pm - 3:00pm in TBA (most likely in SEC 207). The final exam is cumulative.

Lecturer:

Name:

Dr. William (Bill) Cook

Office:

Hill Center 334 (on the Busch Campus)

Office hours:

Mondays and Thursdays 9:30am - 10:00am
Mondays and Wednesdays 2:15pm - 3:15pm
(Other times by appointment)

Phone:

(732) 445-1316

Email:

wjcook@math.rutgers.edu

Webpage:

http://www.math.rutgers.edu/~wjcook

Course topics: An introduction to Ring and Group Theory. We will cover most of chapters 1 through 7, 9, and 13 in our text. Other topics from chapters 8, 10, and 11 time permitting. Several workshops may delve into applications from part 3 of our text. The planned content of each lecture is described on the tentative course schedule: http://www.math.rutgers.edu/~wjcook/ma351-fall2006/schedule.html.

Exams: There will be two midterm exams and a cumulative final. The midterm exams will count 100 points each and the final will count 200 points. The dates of the midterm exams listed in the lecture schedule are tentative. The actual dates will be announced in class. All exams are written by the lecturer (me).
No calculators are allowed at any quiz or exam.

Homework/Quizzes: Students are expected to keep up with the homework problems which are assigned for each lecture. Some of these problems will be collected. I may opt to give several quizzes (annouced or unannounced) if the need arises. You may work together on homework, but the final write-up must be you own. Do not just copy you classmates homework! If you do collaborate with others, you must acknowledge all of your collaborators -- except me :) -- at the beginning of each problem. Students are encouraged to ask questions at the beginning of class about problems with which they have had difficulty. Homework and Quizzes will count 50 points (in total).

Workshops: We will have workshops every Monday after the lecture. This time will be used to attack some more difficult problems while working in groups. Of course I will be there to throw out some hints and advice. The same collaboration and write-up policy (as with homework) applies to workshops also. Workshops will count 50 points (in total).

Component

Points

Exam #1

100

Exam #2

100

Final Exam

200

Homework/Quizzes

50

Workshops

50

Total

500


Grades will be available to you over the web at the online gradebook: https://secure.fas.rutgers.edu/apps/gradebook/.