Fall 2008 Course Syllabus
Course: 3098.001.
Course Title: Modern Algebra.
Time: M 8:40-9:30, TR 10:10-11:30.
Place: M: CC 407S, TR: CC 0617.
Instructor: Datskovsky, Boris A.
Instructor Office: CC 0632.
Instructor Email: boris.datskovsky@temple.edu
Instructor Phone: 215-204-7847.
Office Hours: TR 1:10-2:40.
Prerequisites: Math 2101 (0147), Linear Algebra or Math 2103 (0148), Linear Algebra with Computer Lab.
Textbook: D.S. Malik, J. M. Mordeson and M. K. Sen, Fundamentals of Abstract Algebra, McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1997. This book will be available from the Conwell Hall Copy Center, 6th floor Conwell Hall. Some chapters of the book are also posted on line at https://people.creighton.edu/~dsm33733/MTH581/Introduction%20to%20Abstract%20Algebra.pdf.
Course Goals: This course will deal primarily with theory of groups and rings. Its primary objectives are to lay the foundations of modern algebra and to develop abstract reasoning and clear communication skills in the context of group and ring theory.
Topics Covered: Groups, subgroups, normal subgroups, homomorhisms and isomorphisms of groups, Sylow theorems, classification of finite abelian groups, rings, subrings, ideals and homomorphisms, polynomial rings plus other topics if time allows.
Course Grading: Your grade will be based on two midterms, the final, and homework assignments. Each midterm will count for 20% of your grade, and the final for 30% of your grade. The homework will count for the remaining 30% of your grade.
Exam Dates: First Exam -- Tuesday, October 14, Second Exam -- Tuesday, November 25, Final -- Tuesday, December 16, 11:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Attendance Policy: You are allowed up to 6 unexcused absences during the semester. After that, you grade will be reduced by one notch, say from B to B-, for every 6 additional unexcused absences or a portion thereof.
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at (215) 204-1280, 100 Ritter Annex, to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here.
Students will be charged for a course unless a withdrawal form is processed by a registration office of the University by the Drop/Add deadline date given below. For this semester, the crucial dates are as follows:
- The first day of classes is Tuesday, September 2.
- The last day to drop/add (tuition refund available) is Monday, September 15.
- Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 27.
- The last day to withdraw (no refund) is Monday, November 3.
- The last day of classes is Wednesday, December 10.
During the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester or summer sessions, students may withdraw from a course with no record of the class appearing on the transcript. In weeks three through nine of the fall or spring semester, or during weeks three and four of summer sessions, the student may withdraw with the advisor's permission. The course will be recorded on the transcript with the instructor's notation of "W," indicating that the student withdrew. After week nine of the fall or spring semester, or week four of summer sessions, students may not withdraw from courses. No student may withdraw from more than five courses during the duration of his/her studies to earn a bachelor's degree. A student may not withdraw from the same course more than once. Students who miss the final exam and do not make alternative arrangements before the grades are turned in will be graded F.
The grade I (an "incomplete") is reserved for extreme circumstances. It is necessary to have completed almost all of the course with a passing average and to file an incomplete contract specifying what is left for you to do. To be eligible for an I grade you need a good reason and you should have missed not more than 25% of the first nine weeks of classes. If approved by the Mathematics Department chair and the CST Dean's office, the incomplete contract must include a default grade that will be used in case the I grade is not resolved within 12 months.