Math 1530 (Abstract Algebra) Spring 2020

Instructor

Rohini Ramadas

Office: Kassar House 219

Email: rohini_ramadas@brown.edu


Here is the course handout

I endorse Federico Ardila's axioms:

Axiom 1. Mathematical talent is distributed equally among different groups, irrespective of geographic, demographic, and economic boundaries.

Axiom 2. Everyone can have joyful, meaningful, and empowering mathematical experiences.

Axiom 3. Mathematics is a powerful, malleable tool that can be shaped and used differently by various communities to serve their needs.

Axiom 4. Every student deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

Important COVID-19 announcements

No classes week of March 16.

Beginning March 30, classes will be held online on zoom, and recordings will be posted to Canvas.

Assignments are now due via Gradescope.


Schedule

Class timings: MWF 11:00-11:50AM Friedman Hall 202

TA Sessions: TBD

Office Hours: Mondays 10:00AM-10:40AM and 1:30PM-2:30PM, Fridays 1:40-2:30PM

In-class midterms: February 24 and April 6

Take-home quizzes: Weekends of February 7 and March 13

Take-home final exam (part 1): May 1-6

Proctored Final Exam (part 2): May 6 2020, 2:00-5:00PM

Texts and syllabus

`Algebra' by Artin (acquiring a copy is optional)

`An Integrated Introduction to Abstract Algebra' by Joseph Silverman

Homework

Homework comprises 20% of the course grade. It is posted on the course website and is due in class, at the beginning of class, on Wednesdays in general. No late HW will be accepted for any reason. Instead, I will drop your lowest two HW scores when computing your course grade.

Resources

Preliminaries: notes on sets and functions.

A primer on basic set notation, from Eastern Illinois University.

NEW: Practice problems

NEW: Primer on linear algebra