Summer2 2008 Course Syllabus
Course: 3003.021.
Course Title: Theory of Numbers.
Time: 1255P-0225 MTWR.
Place: BB 00103.
Instructor: Gimenez, Jose.
Instructor Office: Wachman Hall 430.
Instructor Email: jose.gimenez@temple.edu
Instructor Phone: (215) 204-7854.
Office Hours: TR 3:00-4:00.
Prerequisites: Two semesters of calculus.
Textbook: "An Introductory course in Elementary Number Theory", Wissam Raji. This book has not yet been published. I will be sending the students a pdf version.
Course Goals: To introduce students to properties of integers and their application and develop some computational facility, deductive reasoning, and mathematical writing skills.
Topics Covered: Well ordering principle, mathematical induction, divisibility, the division algorithm, representation of integers, prime numbers, the greatest common divisor and the Euclidean algorithm, the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, congruences and modular arithmetic, applications of congruences, Fermat's and Euler's Theorems, cryptography, numbers rational and irrational and their decimal representations, continued fractions and the Pell's equation.
Course Grading: The grade will be based on 2 in-class tests plus written homework. The course grade will be computed as follows: 25% T1+25% T2 +25% H+ Final 25%. Numeric-To-Letter-Grade Scale: 93-100 A, 90-92 A-, 87-89 B+, 83-86 B, 80-82 B-, 77-79 C+, 73-76 C, 70-72 C-, 65-69 D+, 55-64 D, 50-54 D-, 0-49 F.
Exam Dates: Test 1 7/21 covers until p.31. Test 2 8/6 covers until p. 57. Final Exam 8/14.
Attendance Policy: No formal attendance policy. You will attend if you know what is good for you.
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 Monday, July 7.
- The last day to drop/add (tuition refund available) is Friday July 18.
- The last day to withdraw (no refund) is Friday, August 1.
- The last day of classes is Saturday, August 16.
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.