Math 322 - 101, Term 1 2007
Introduction to Algebra
Announcements
Announcements will be posted here from time to time. Please check
regularly.
- Check that you have the updated homework questions as of 19/9/07.
- Midterm details now up!
- The midterm average was 81%. Well done!
Lecture details
Lecturer: S van Willigenburg
, Math 208, 822-2630, steph at math splotch ubc splotch ca.
Location: TTh 2.00-3.30 Lasserre 104.
Web page: http://www.math.ubc.ca/~steph/322/322.html
Office hours: Mon 10-11am, Thur 4-5pm, and by appointment.
Course description
This is an honours introduction to groups, rings and fields. There will
be emphasis
both on theory and proof. Topics include polynomials, rings, ideals,
unique
factorization, Euclidean rings, fields, groups, cosets, homomorphisms,
permutations, matrix groups. Prerequisite is one of Math 152,
Math
221 (both 80% or above), or Math 223 (68% or above) and one of Math
220, Math 226.
Text
N. Lauritzen, Concrete Abstract Algebra, Cambridge.
ISBN 0-521-53410-0. There is a copy on reserve in the Main
Library. Other books on the subject can also be found (start
browsing
around QA 171).
Homework
There will be weekly homework
assignments due on Thursdays. The homework is the most important
part
of the course. Most of your learning will take place while doing it. We
will not accept late homework except in very unusual circumstances.
We will, however, drop the lowest homework grade.
Exams
Midterm,
Tuesday 9th October.
Final exam,
Wednesday 5th December.
Calculators, books, notes etc are not permitted in either exam.
Please
bring your student ID to both exams.
Please note that there are no make-up or alternate exams, so make
sure
you do not make travel plans, work plans etc that will conflict.
Grading
Your grade will be based on the homework (10%), the midterm (30 or
40%),
and the final (60 or 50%), whichever gives you the best grade.
Since this is a Mathematics Honours course, students
will primarily be expected to construct proofs
involving
fundamental and advanced ideas of the course. At least 80% of your
grade will come from writing proofs.
Working together and academic integrity
We have no objection in principle to collaboration on the homework,
provided
that it is done in a way that maximizes the benefit of the homework to
all people involved. (One person simply telling another how to do a
problem
totally defeats the purpose of the problem.) It is our opinion that you
get maximum benefit from a homework problem if you work hard on it
alone
before combining your ideas with someone else's. In any case, the paper
that you turn in with your name on it should represent your own
solutions,
written in your own words, regardless of whether you arrived at some of
those solutions in collaboration with others.
In particular, you may not simply copy someone else's homework
and
turn it in as your own. This will be treated as a violation of UBC's
Academic
Integrity Code. Similarly, copying solutions that you might find on
the web or from some other source is illegal. We take academic
integrity
very seriously and will follow university procedures in all cases of
suspected
cheating (which may result in expulsion).
There is anecdotal evidence that quite a bit of cheating occurs on
campus.
In an effort to prevent one common form of cheating, we will xerox a
random
sample of exam books before returning them.
Assignments
Assignment
1, due Thursday September 6th.
Assignment
2, due Thursday September 13th.
Assignment
3, due Thursday September 20th.
Assignment
4, due Thursday September 27th.
No assignment
due Thursday October 4th due to midterm.
Assignment
5, due Thursday October 11th.
Assignment 6, due Thursday October 18th.
Assignment 7, due Thursday October 25th.
Assignment
8, due Thursday November 1st.
Assignment
9, due Thursday November 8th.
Assignment
10, due Thursday November 15th.
Assignment
11, due Thursday November 22nd.
Assignment
12, due Thursday November 29th.
Solutions
These
are sketches to help you study. Please make sure your solutions include
full details and citations.
Assignment
1
Assignment
2
Assignment
3
Assignment
4
Assignment 5
Assignment
6
Assignment
7
Assignment
8
Assignment
9
Assignment
10
Assignment
11
Assignment
12
Other handouts
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