-
Schedule.
- Class will meet on Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12:20 p.m.–1:10 p.m. in 201 LOV.
-
Prerequisites.
- Graduate standing, or permission by the instructor.
-
Text.
- The main reference will be:
Paolo Aluffi, Algebra: Chapter 0, Graduate Studies in Mathematics, Volume 104, American
Mathematical Society.
As an additional textbook, the following:
Serge Lang, Algebra, Fourth Ed., Springer,
is a classic, and very well worth consulting. Many other possibilities exist, and students are encouraged to
make appropriate use of the University Libraries and online resources.
-
Course Content.
- The topics to be covered are roughly as follows:
- Sets and categories (basic and advanced notions)
- Groups
- Rings and modules
- Irreducibility and factorization in integral domains (depending on time)
which correspond to the fist five chapters of the book.
-
Course Objectives.
- The course focuses on advanced aspects of algebra. Its main objective is to delve more
in-depth in the subject than compared to an undergraduate course covering the same topics. Note, however,
that this course is the first part of a three semesters-long sequence, hence you can expect to encounter many
new topics, even if this is not your first algebra course.
The material to be covered in this course roughly corresponds the first half of the qualification exam in
Algebra. (Note that the qualification exam in Algebra is one unit, and it is not formally divided
in two parts.) Hence another objective of this course is to prepare students for the Qualifier
Exam.
-
Attendance.
- Students are expected to attend class regularly. A student absent from class bears the full
responsibility for all subject matter and information discussed in class. (See however below for more details
about our global University Attendance Policy.)
-
Grading.
- Your grading will be determined by your performance in homework and/or in-class quizzes, two midterm
exams, and a final exams, roughly in equal measure.
Cutoff points for A, B, C, etc. will be in the vicinity of 85%, 70%, 55%, etc., but I reserve the right to make
adjustments if necessary to consider such imponderable factors as class participation, attendance, etc. Same
applies to plus and minuses, with the following special provision: the “bin” for the “A” grade will be treated
somewhat more strictly. A score greater or equal than 85% will certainly guarantee an A-, however to gain an
“A” you must achieve a score solidly falling in the 90% range. “Solid” means as close as possible to
95%.
-
Homework.
- Homework problems will usually be assigned by posting on the course web page, and (more rarely) by
in-class communication. Thus it is your responsibility to check the web page for an up-to-date list of assigned
problems.
Not all problems will be collected for grading, but some of them will, and students are expected to honor the
relative return dates. Which problems are collected, and the corresponding dates to turn them in will be
posted on the web page.
Students are expected to work out problems as part of their study routine, regardless of whether the problems
are graded. An effort will be made to discuss some problems in class (not those collected for grading), in order
to illustrate the material. Therefore it is reasonable to expect that students actively participate in these
discussions.
-
Exams.
- There will be two midterm and a final exam. Dates for the midterms will be communicated in due
course.
The final exam date is on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 10:00–12:00 noon, same location as class meetings.
-
University Attendance Policy.
- Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other
documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holidays, and official University activities.
These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid
excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious
illness.
-
Academic Honor Policy.
- The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University’s
expectations for the integrity of students’ academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged
violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members
throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living
up to their pledge to “...be honest and truthful and ...[to] strive for personal and institutional
integrity at Florida State University.” (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at
http://dof.fsu.edu/honorpolicy.htm.)
-
Americans With Disabilities Act.
- Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation
should:
- register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; and
- bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should
be done during the first week of class.
This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For more information
about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the: Student Disability Resource
Center
874 Traditions Way
108 Student Services Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
sdr@admin.fsu.edu
http://www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu/
-
Syllabus Change Policy.
- "Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation
(grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance
notice.”