MATH 4081/6081            Modern Algebra I
Fall 2009

Catalog Description of the Course:
MATH 4081 - Modern Algebra I
Credits: 3.00
Prerequisite: MATH 4150 or MATH 3040 or consent of the instructor. Topics from groups, rings, and fields. Sub- groups, cyclic groups, permutation groups, normal subgroups, homomorphisms, Cayley's and Lagrange's Theorems, factor groups, abelian groups, direct products. Introduction to rings and fields.
Lecture: 3.00 Lab: .00
College: College of Arts & Sciences
Department: Dept of Math/CS
Pre-requisites: MATH 4150 Minimum Grade: D or MATH 3040 Minimum Grade: D

Student Learning Outcomes:
1.    Students will check whether a given set is a group with respect to a given operation
       defined on the set;

2.    Students will check whether a given subset of a group is a subgroup of the group;

3.    Students will find all generators of a cyclic group;

4.    Students will express a given permutation as the product of disjoint cycles and as a product of transpositions;

5.    Students will determine if two groups are isomorphic or not;

6.    Students will read, explain and prove theorems dealing with properties of groups, subgroups, cyclic groups,
       permutation groups, and factor groups; and

7.    Students will read, explain and prove theorems dealing with basic properties of rings, integral domains and fields.
 

Important Dates*:

First Class Day:        Monday, August 17th

Test 1:                   Wednesday, September 16th   

Mid-term Date:        Thursday, October 8th (Last Day to Drop a Class)

Fall-Break:                Mon-Tues, October 19-20

Test 2:                   Wednesday, October 28th       

Test 3:                   Wednesday, December 2nd 

Last Class Day:        Monday, December 7th

Final:                          Friday,  December 11th from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM  in WH 150

*:  The dates for Test 1 -3 are subject to change. If there is a change, it will be announced in class
     at least one week before the new date.

Other

1. If you miss a test for a valid reason, the score on the final exam will be used to fill in for the
   missed test. It is important that you provide me in writing the reason for missing the test. If
   you miss more than one test, a score of zero will be recorded for the second or third missed
   test. There will be no make-up exams given in this course.
    
2. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get notes from a fellow student and complete
   the homework. It is a good idea to exchange phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses with a
   couple of students in the class.
    
3. Please turn off your cell phones and pages prior to coming to class.
   
   
4. Attendance is expected for every scheduled class meeting. You are expected to come on time
   and stay for the full class period. A student who misses more than 20% of the class meetings
   is subject to receiving a failing grade in the course. Also, you need to be an active
   participant in class discussions.
    
5. Homework assignments must be turned in at the beginning of the class on the due date. Late
   assignments will not be accepted and will receive a grade of  ZERO. If you know that you will
   be absent from the class on the date an assignment is due, turn in your assignment earlier or
   ask someone to turn in your work for you.
    
6. As a part of class participation, you may be asked to make presentations to the entire class.
   These presentations will include sharing results of projects completed with fellow students
   and/or solutions to homework problems.
   
   
7. Cheating on tests and/or final examination can result in total dismissal from VSU. Note that
   any talking during tests will be considered a form of cheating.
   
8. Students requesting classroom accommodations or modifications because of a documented
   disability should discuss this need with me at the beginning of the semester. For additional
   information, please contact the Access Office for Students with Disabilities. The Access Office
   is located in NH Farber Hall and the phone number is 245-2498.
    
9. Students who are enrolled in MATH 6081 are expected to complete some additional work to be
   assigned by the instructor.
   

Timeline for the Course: