MATH 4510/5510 COURSE SYLLABUS
Spring 2015
No Textbook for this Course
Prerequisites: This is an advanced, theory-based course. Math 3460 is a required prerequisite; Math 2010 is strongly recommended but not required.
Purpose: This course is intended to provide advanced undergraduates with additional experience in proof techniques while also giving them extensive exposure to groups. Topics covered include basic properties of groups, subgroups, group homomorphisms, quotient groups, and direct products.
OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, students will have developed an understanding of:
1. operations and equivalence
relations,
2. basic properties of groups,
3. special classes of groups,
4. homomorphisms and isomorphisms,
5. normal subgroups,
6. quotient groups.
REQUIREMENTS: In general, you are expected to
1. attend class lectures and work
with your assigned small group,
2. read and study class assignments
and solve assigned problems,
3. ask questions in class when unsure of any concept or unclear on any assigned problem;
4. take all announced exams (including the final) on the day they are scheduled
5. present assigned homework
problems regularly in class.
Grading: We will cover Sections 2, 4, and 6 of Chapter 1 and all of Chapter 2 in the class notes available on my web page. There will be an in-class exam roughly every three sections, (a total of three exams), and there will be a comprehensive final exam. Each week there will be a short definitions and theorems quiz. You will be assigned homework problems to present in class. Your grades on homework presentations will constitute a fourth exam grade. Exams will be based on the homework problems; hence, you should work on all homework problems, not just the ones you are assigned to present.
CLICK HERE FOR PRESENTATION GUIDELINES
Students making presentations should be prepared to share corrected solutions with the rest of the class. It is very important that you be present for the in-class presentations; consequently, I will take roll each day. Every four unexcused absences will automatically lower your final grade by one letter.
If you are enrolled in Math 4510, your quiz grades will count 10% and exams will count 75% of your final grade. The final exam will count 15% of your final grade.
Graduate Students: Graduate students will be assigned the more challenging homework exercises for presentation, and there will be a take-home component to all graduate exams. In addition, graduate students must also write a short paper on a group theory topic. Quizzes will count 10%, exams will count 70% of your final grade, your paper will count 10%, and your final exam will count 10%.
A standard grading scale will be used on all graded work: 90-100 --- A, 80 - 89.5 --- B, etc. Particular grades are not curved; there will be an end-of-semester curve on exams based upon class performance. (The curve is separate for graduate and undergraduate students.)
The notes provided are designed so that you must read and work through the presented examples in order to work the exercises.
Problem assignments will be made a few days after class starts, once the enrollment has stabilized. You are expected to work as many homework problems as you can in addition to those you are presenting, and you are expected to collect corrected solutions to all homework problems since these will serve as your study guide for the exams. Presenters are strongly encouraged to use Power Point, MS Word, or some other electronic medium as the basis for their presentations and are encouraged to post the corrected presentations in a place where others in class may access them.
If you are not able to take a quiz or exam at the scheduled time, you must schedule a makeup time. Except for medical or family emergencies, the scheduled makeup time cannot be more than two weekdays after the quiz or exam.
I usually return an exam or quiz no more than two class days after it is given. It is your responsibility to monitor your progress in the course. I strongly recommend you actively ask questions in class or come to my office regularly to discuss your progress. I will be happy to suggest strategies for helping you succeed, but no strategy provides a quick-fix. Do not wait until the last few weeks of class to try improving your grade.
THERE ARE NO OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXTRA CREDIT IN THIS COURSE.
IMPORTANT: It is Department policy not to grant withdrawals after the withdrawal deadline has passed, unless circumstances have arisen which make it impossible for you to complete the course. Late withdrawals must be approved by the Department Chair and often require documentation for the extenuating circumstances.
No one will be exempt from the final.
LOTTERY
STATEMENT:
INCOMPLETES: An incomplete will be given only in accordance with the University Policy.
If you have a disability that may require assistance or accommodation, or you have questions related to any accommodations
for testing, note takers, readers, etc., please speak with me as soon as possible. Students may also contact the
Office of Disabled Students Services (898-2783) with questions about such services.
ACADEMIC
MISCONDUCT:
Middle
Tennessee State University takes a strong stance against academic misconduct.
Academic Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism,
cheating, and fabrication. Plagiarism,
cheating, fabrication, or facilitating any such act.
For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1)
Plagiarism:
The adoption or
reproduction of ideas, words, statements, images, or works of another person as
one’s own without proper attribution. This includes self-plagiarism, which
occurs when an author submits material or research from a previous academic
exercise to satisfy the requirements of another exercise and uses it without
proper citation of its reuse.
(2)
Cheating:
Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or
study aids in any academic exercise. This
includes unapproved collaboration, which occurs when a student works with others
on an academic exercise without the express permission of the professor.
The term academic exercise includes all forms of work submitted for
credit or hours.
(3)
Fabrication:
Unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or
citation in an academic exercise.
Going
online and taking information without proper citations, copying parts of other
student’s work, creating information for the purposes of making your paper
seem more official, or anything involving taking someone else’s thoughts or
ideas without proper attribution is academic
misconduct. If you work together
on an assignment when it is not allowed, it is academic misconduct. If
you have a question about an assignment, please come see me to clarify.
Any cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the Office of
Academic Affairs for violating the academic honesty requirements in the student
handbook. They will also result in
failure for the course. Remember –
ignorance is NOT a defense.
Important dates:
January 21 --- MLK Holiday
February 2 --- Last day to drop without a grade March 29 --- Last day to drop with a "W"
March 9-14 --- Spring Break April 30 --- Study Day (No Classes)
May 1-7 --- Finals Week
FINAL EXAM --- Thursday May 7 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM