2024 Fall Course Syllabus - Mathematics 8011.001

Course: Mathematics 8011.001.

Course Title: Abstract Algebra I.

Credits: 3.

How this course will be taught: In person.

Time: Tuesday, Thursday 12:30 - 1:50pm.

Place: Wachman 617.

Instructor: Vasily Dolgushev.

Instructor Office: Wachman 530.

Instructor Email: vasily.dolgushev@temple.edu

Instructor Phone: 215-204-7287.

Office Hours: Wednesdays 2:30-4:30pm, Thursdays 3-4pm and by appointment.

Prerequisites: The minimum prerequisite is Math 3098 or equivalent. However, students with a full year of undergraduate abstract algebra, and with at least one semester of undergraduate linear algebra, are more likely to succeed. Moreover, students in this course will be expected to have the mathematical maturity and experience to produce clearly written and well reasoned proofs or be able to rapidly develop these skills.

Course Materials: Abstract Algebra by D.S. Dummit and R.M. Foote. The third edition. John Wiley & Sons, 2004. I will occasionally use J.S. Milne's openly available book "Group Theory".

Course Goals: To master the basic concepts and constructions of abstract algebra.

Topics Covered: This is a year-long graduate-level introduction to abstract algebra focusing on groups, rings, fields, and modules. The first semester will begin with a thorough treatment of groups, including the Isomorphism Theorems, the Sylow Theorems, and the basic facts concerning solvable and nilpotent groups. In the first semester, we will also talk about rings, ideals, and factorization in rings. Finally, we will devote some time to polynomials rings.

Course Grading: Homework: 50%, Midterm: 20%, Comprehensive Final Exam: 30%. A homework assignment with the lowest score will be dropped.

Exam Dates: Midterm on October 17 (Thursday) in class. The final exam will be on December 12 (Thursday) 10:30am - 12:30pm (room TBD).

Attendance Policy: Attendance will not be monitored, but you are strongly encouraged to attend class regularly and to take complete class notes.

Attendance and Your Health: To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to your instructors' requirements. However, if you feel unwell or if you are under quarantine or in isolation because you have been exposed to the virus or tested positive for it, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. Students have the responsibility to contact their instructors to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as they are able to do so and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion when illness delays their completion.

Homework: Homework assignments are posted on the canvas page of this course. You may work together on these assignments, but I expect everybody to write up their own solutions; obvious copies will not be accepted. The writing component is an essential part of this course. The lowest grade for the homework assignment will be dropped.

Letter grades: 90-100% A/A-, 80-89% B+/B/B-, 70-79% C, 50-69% D, below 50% F.

Written assignments and exams: You have to justify all your steps in your written assignments, the midterm and the final exam. Also, please, write legibly! Not justifying steps or not writing legibly may reduce your score.

Make-ups: I will allow you to make-up your exam (or midterm) only in case of a documented emergency. Late homeworks will not be accepted. You are already insured by the policy of dropping the lowest score.

Disability Statement: Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) in Howard Gittis Student Center South, Rm 420 (drs@temple.edu; 215-204-1280) to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential.

Academic Freedom: 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 (opens in new tab/window).

Add/Drop Policy: Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date. Check the University calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates.

During the Drop/Add period, students may drop a course with no record of the class appearing on their transcript. Students are not financially responsible for any courses dropped during this period. In the following weeks prior to or on the withdrawal date students may withdraw from a course with the grade of "W" appearing on their transcript. After the withdrawal date students may not withdraw from courses. Check the University Calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).

AI Policy: The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.) is not permitted in this class unless specifically announced for a particular assignment; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Temple University's Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in a grade of zero on the assignment; a second offense will be reported to the Student Conduct Board.

Incomplete Policy: The grade "I" (an "incomplete") is only given if students cannot complete the course work due to circumstances beyond their control. It is necessary for the student to have completed the majority of the course work with a passing average and to sign an incomplete contract which clearly states what is left for the student to do and the deadline by which the work must be completed. The incomplete contract must also include a default grade that will be used in case the "I" grade is not resolved by the agreed deadline. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).

Student Support Services: The following academic support services are available to students (all links open in a new tab/window):
    The Math Consulting Center
    Student Success Center
    University Libraries
    Undergraduate Research Support
    Career Center
    Tuttleman Counseling Services
    Disability Resources and Services
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry and the Temple University Emergency Student Aid Program are in operation as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.