Course Announcement - Summer 2006

Math 113: Introduction to Abstract Algebra

Instructor: Bernd Sturmfels

Office hours: Mondays 7:00am-8:00am, Wednesdays 10:00am-11:00am, and Thursdays 4:00pm-5:00pm
Contact: bernd at math, 925 Evans, 642 4687

Lectures: Monday and Wednesday, 8:00-10:00am, 87 Evans Hall,
as well as Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00-9:00am, 87 Evans Hall

Discussion Sessions: Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00-10:00am, 87 Evans Hall.

First Day of Class: Monday, June 26.
First Midterm Exam: Thursday, July 13.
Second Midterm Exam: Tuesday, August 1.
Last Day of Class and Final Exam: Thursday, August 17.

Prerequisites: A solid background in lower-division mathematics.
Discrete Mathematics (Math 55) is especially relevant. Acquaintance with linear algebra (Math 110) will help.

Course text: Concrete Abstract Algebra: From Numbers to Grobner Bases,
(paperback edition) by Niels Lauritzen, Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Syllabus: The book has five chapters: 1. Numbers, 2. Groups, 3. Rings, 4. Polynomials, 5. Grobner Bases.
I intend to cover almost all of the material in all five chapters. Grobner bases will definitely be covered. However, I will exclude some of the number-theoretic topics (factoring algorithms, quadratic reciprocity). Suggestions and comments are always welcome.

Grading: There will be two midterms and one final exam. All three exams as well as the homework will count towards the final grade. The precise grading scheme is as follows: Homework 15 %, Midterms 25 % each, Final 35 %. The final exam score will override any lower midterm score. This means that, a posteriori, your final exam may count as 60 % or 85 % instead of 35 %. Active participation in the class will be noted and the instructor may award extra credit based on this information.

Exams: All three exams are closed book. You are asked to bring a blue book to write in. Please do not use any notes, text books, calculators, cell phones etc. You must show all your work to get credit. Please write in complete sentences if time permits.

Homework: There will be a weekly homework assignment, to be handed in on Mondays. Late homework will not be accepted.
All homework assignments will be posted here, and they refer to the Exercises in the text book.

Here are the assigned homework problems. The reader will grade two problems per homework set carefully, and he will spot-check the others. Each of the two graded problems is worth 2 points, Solutions to these problems will be posted. The spot-checked problems are worth 4 points, and I will only post solutions to particularly difficult problems. So, the total score per homework set is 2+2+4 = 8 points. The problems which will be graded more carefully are marked by an asterisk.

(1) due July 3: Exercises 1.4, 1.5, 1.7*, 1.8, 1.10, 1.12, 1.18, 1.21, 1.24, 1.30*.
(2) due July 10: Exercises 1.33, 1.34, 1.38, 1.42, 1.43*, 2.2, 2.5*, 2.6, 2.9, 2.16, 2.17, 2.19.
(3) due July 17: Exercises 2.24, 2.25, 2.31, 2.32*, 2.35, 2.39, 2.40, 2.43, 2.44*, 2.45.
(4) due July 24: Exercises 2.47, 2.48*, 2.52*, 2.53, 2.54, 2.56, 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.8.
(5) due July 31: Exercises 3.9, 3.10, 3.13, 3.15, 3.20*, 3.28, 4.1, 4.5, 4.7*, 4.8.
(6) due August 7: Exercises 4.11, 4.15, 4.18*, 4.25, 4.26, 4.28*, 4.29, 4.34, 4.41, 4.42, 4.44.
(7) due August 14: Exercises 5.2, 5.3, 5.6, 5.8, 5.11*, 5.13, 5.18, 5.19*, 5.20, 5.21, 5.22.


Click on the following links to retrieve (in pdf):
Selected solutions to HW 1
Midterm Exam 1
Solutions to Midterm Exam 1
Midterm Exam 2
Solutions to Midterm Exam 2
Final Exam
Solutions to Final Exam