Objectives
This class is about the theory of groups and their linear representations. Besides the subject matter of the course, we will emphasize:
Mathematical maturity and comfort with abstraction
Writing proofs
Lectures
Lectures will take place Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30 - 4:45 pm in WED 212.
Office hours are Thursdays 2:30 - 3:20 in CDS 543.
Textbooks
We will mostly follow the material in Algebra by M. Artin (Prentice Hall, 1991), Chapters 2-9.
Some supplementary material will be taken from Linear Representations of Finite Groups by J.-P. Serre (Springer, 1977).
Assignments
There will be weekly problem sets. These will be submitted on Gradescope. You are encouraged to LaTeX your submissions, but handwritten submissions are fine too. Two of the assignments will be promoted to "projects", which will require writing a few in-depth proofs. You will have the opportunity to submit a draft of your project for comments before submitting a final version.
Grading
Grades will be calculated according to the rubric: 50% Problem Sets, 20% Midterm Project, 20% Final Project, 10% Class Participation. The Class Participation element is to encourage you to take an active role in discussions during lecture, for instance by asking questions. It can also be fulfilled by attending some office hours.