S16-419

Introduction to Abstract Algebra II

Spring 2016

Instructor: Kwangho Choiy

Course Website: https://sites.google.com/site/kchoiy/home/teaching/previous-courses/math-419

Class Meeting: TTh 10:00am - 11:15am in EGRA 310

Textbook: A First Course in Abstract Algebra 7th edition by John B. Fraleigh. The topics include:

Syllabus / Course Schedule: It is required to read carefully our syllabus and schedule linked here, UPDATED on 1/10/2016.

Exams: There will be two mid-term exams and one final. No make-up exam will be accepted. 

Each HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT will be posted as below at least one week ahead of the due date (see the Course Schedule linked above for a tentative assignment schedule!):

*HW Policies: You should show all your work and submit it in class on the due date. No late homework will be accepted.*

Updates and Remarks done during the semester- math419 - Spring 2016:

[May 5, 2016] Lecture 30: Section 51 - motivating example for separable extension, definitions of separable polynomial, extension and element, examples, more properties and remarks of separable extensions, perfect fields / Section 53 - state the main theorem of Galois theory, sketch of proof, example. Some hints and solutions for Practice Problems for Final emailed out! 

[May 3, 2016] Lecture 29: Section 50 - examples, remarks of splitting fields, {E:F} = # G(E/F) when E is a splitting field over F, how to make Q(3rd root of 2) to be the splitting field of x^3-2, E is a splitting field over F <=> all auto of F bar fixing F becomes auto of E. Introduce a motivating example for separable extension. Practice Problems for Final distributed!

[Apr 28, 2016] Lecture 28: Section 48 - proved the conjugation isomorphism theorem, more examples, a brief motivation, statement of Galois main theorem. / Section 49 - stated the isomorphism extension theorem, its application, the splitting field of f(x).

[Apr 26, 2016] Lecture 27: Section 48 - state the conjugation isomorphism theorem, corollaries, applications, examples. HW 10 (due on May 3, Tue) distributed!

[Apr 21, 2016] Lecture 26: Section 48 - conjugate, G(E/F) - Aut(E) - the set of isomorphisms from E to a subfield if bar{E} (=the set of embeddings of E into bar{E}), conjugation theorem, if E = F(a_1, a_2, ... a_n) with ai are all zeros of an irreducible poly over F then G(E/F) is a subgroup of Sn (= the permutations on [n]). HW 8 returned with solution!

[Apr 19, 2016] Lecture 25: Section 48 - defined G(E/F) and gave examples, introduced E_sigma, the field in E fixed by sigma. HW 9 (due on Apr. 26, Tue) distributed!

[Apr 14, 2016] Lecture 24: Section 33 - more proofs and examples about finite extensions of a finite field. / Section 48 - introduce to Galois theory, motivation, examples, introduce to automorphisms, a group structure of Aut(E). HW 7 returned with solution!

[Apr 12, 2016] Lecture 23: Section 33 - more structure of finite fields, primitive roots of unity, examples. HW 8 (due on Apr. 19, Tue) distributed.

[Apr 7, 2016] Lecture 22: Section 31 - more properties of algebraic extension, algebraically closed field, algebraic closure of F / Section 33 - motivations, summary on finite extension fields.

[Apr 5, 2016] Lecture 21: Section 31 - def, examples, properties of algebraic extensions, introduced to algebraic closure of F in E. HW 7 (due on Apr. 12, Tue) distributed. Exam 2 returned with solution!

[Mar 31, 2016] Lecture 20: Exam 2.

[Mar 29, 2016] Lecture 19: Section 30 - motivation why to learn VS, def, examples, properties of VS, introduce, Span, linearly independence, basis, dimension, viewed F(alpha) as F-VS, deg(alpha, F)=dimF(alpha) for algebraic alpha over F. HW 6 returned with solution! Some hints and solutions for Practice Problems for EXAM 2 emailed out!

[Mar 24, 2016] Lecture 18: Section 29 - more new terms - algebraic, transcendental, irr(alpha, F), deg(alpha, F)..., theorems for algebraic, transcendental extensions, a connection between the notions of an extension field and a vector space. Practice Problems for Exam 2 distributed!

[Mar 22, 2016] Lecture 17: Section 29 - new terms to start the field theory, extension fields, base fields, stated and proved the existence of extension fields, examples.

[Mar 10, 2016] Lecture 16: Section 27 - introduce principal ideals, more about maximal and prime ideals, more properties of F[x] related to ideals. HW 5 returned with solution!

[Mar 8, 2016] Lecture 15: Section 27 - def of maximal, prime ideals, examples, theorems in comm with 1 related to prime and maximal ideals. HW 6 (due on Mar. 24, Thr) distributed!

[Mar 3, 2016] Lecture 14: Section 26 - factor ring, fundamental theorem of a ring homomorphism, more about ideals. HW 4 returned with solution!

[Mar 1, 2016] Lecture 13: Section 26 - motivation to define ideals, properties of ring homomorphisms, study kernel of ring homomorphism, definition of ideals, in the set of additive (left) cosets of a subring H in a ring R, the multiplication (a+H)(b+H) = ab +H is well-defined iff H is an ideal. HW 5 (due on Mar. 8, Tue) distributed.

[Feb 25, 2016] Lecture 12: Section 23 - definition of irreducible, reducible polynomial, two criteria for determination of irreducibility: a typical, Eisenstein criterion, unique factorization, F* is cyclic when F is finite.

[Feb 23, 2016] Lecture 11: Section 23 - motivation to learn F[x],division algorithm in F[x], introduced notions of irreducible, unique factorization. HW 4 (due on Mar. 1, Tue) distributed. Exam 1 returned with solution!

[Feb 18, 2016] Lecture 10: Exam 1.

[Feb 16, 2016] Lecture 9: Section 22 - introduce R[x], evaluation homomorphism, kernel of a ring homomorphism. / discussions on Prac Prob for Exam 1. HW 3 returned with solution! 

[Feb 11, 2016] Lecture 8: Section 36-37 - define normalizer and examples / Section 22 - review definition, basic properties of rings, examples. Practice Problems for Exam 1 distributed!

[Feb 9, 2016] Lecture 7: Section 36-37 - more applications of Sylow theorems, recall def, properties of a group action and discussed class equation, proof of Cauchy's theorem. HW 2 returned with solution!

[Feb 4, 2016] Lecture 6: Section 36-37 - statement of 3 Sylow theorems, examples, applications. HW 3 (due on Feb. 11, Thur) distributed!

[Feb 2, 2016] Lecture 5: Section 35 - more examples for solvable groups / Section 36-37 - prelim for Sylow theorems: motivating examples, definitions of  p-group, p-subgroup, Sylow p-subgroup, examples, Cauchy's theorem, corollary to Cauchy's thm about p-group. HW 1 returned with solution!

[Jan 28, 2016] Lecture 4: Section 34 / Section 35 -- application of three isomorphism theorems, introduced HvN / introduced subnormal series, composition series, solvable groups, gave their examples. HW 2 (due on Feb. 4, Thur) distributed!

[Jan 26, 2016] Lecture 3: Section 34 -- proved three isomorphism theorems, stated an application of the 1st isomorphism theorem. 

[Jan 21, 2016] Lecture 2: Section 34 -- stated three isomorphism theorems and gave examples and necessary arguments. HW 1 (due on Jan. 28, Thur) distributed!

[Jan 19, 2016] Lecture 1: Syllabus / Section 34 -- discussed two motivating examples for study of advanced group theory, and recalled some notions from Math 319 for three isomorphism theorems: def of a group, normal subgroups, homomorphism, isomorphism, the kernel, S_n, A_n, transpositions, even/odd permutations, Z_n, Z/nZ.