Instructor: John Perry
Office: Southern Hall, 310
Office Hours: MTWThF 1-2p
Office Phone: 601·266·4293
Email: john.perry@usm.edu
Instructor's web page: http://www.math.usm.edu/perry/
Class web page: http://www.math.usm.edu/perry/mat423sp08/
Class meeting time and
location: 3·55-5·05p TuTh, SH 202
Course Description: Elementary notions in groups, Fundamental Theorem of Finitely Generated Groups, permutation groups, quotient groups, isomorphism theorems, and applications of transformation groups.
Prerequisite: MAT 326 (Linear Algebra I) and MAT 340 (Discrete Mathematics). These prerequisites constitute necessary preparation for the course; if you lack either you are at a disadvantage.
Grading: The semester grade will be determined by a weighted average, according to the weights listed below.
| Tests (there will be two) |
40% of total |
| Homework (problems are graded randomly) |
50% of total |
| A team
project (to be explained in due course) |
10% of total |
Late Assignments: Any assignment turned in past the specified due date and time will receive a grade lowered by ten percent for each school day late.
Makeup work: I do not give makeup tests/quizzes/etc. without an excused absence. If you must miss class, then you must also produce documentation of the reason for your absence. If you were sick, you can show me the receipt from the hospital or doctor; if you had a sports event, you can show me the schedule; if someone died, you can show me an obituary notice; if the tire on your car blew out, you can show me the receipt from the mechanic.Homework:
I generally collect the homework for
grading, but I will grade only a few random problems, not the entire
assignment. It is important for you to understand every problem on the
assignment, and I will provide some homework solutions to help
you
study.
Important note on homework:
Many math majors see the purpose of homework as a
"verification" that they have learned the material that was presented
in class.
This course is different. In Algebra, solving
the homework problems is not proof that you have learned; it is part of
the learning process. It is not unusual for a one-line
question to take an hour or two, or even more, where you spend most of
the time trying to figure out where
to start! It is vitally important that you struggle with
the
problems, consult other students and the professor, and generally
consider finding the solutions more important than pretty much anything
else. This is a senior-level (or graduate-level)
class, and I expect you to do senior-level (or graduate-level) work.
A word about tests: Tests will be take-home, open book, and open notes. They will consist of problems that you have not seen in class or in the homework. You should be able to solve them based on what you learned in the course. A good study guide for your tests will therefore consist of (1) reviewing the homework and making sure you understand it, and (2) studying additional problems in each chapter.
Tutoring and study groups: I encourage you to work together on homework assignments, to look at each other's solutions, and to explain answers to each other. I may even assign study groups to work on homework assignments together. This is not the same thing as copying each other's homework.
Final Exam Due:Tuesday 6 May 2007, before I leave school.
Note: The last day to drop a full-semester course without academic penalty is Wednesday, Feb. 27.
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ADA Syllabus Statement If a student has a disability that qualifies under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies.
The University of
Southern Mississippi |