Introduction to Abstract Algebra

Instructor: Prof. Ilya Kapovich

Spring 2005 ; MATH 417 Section C13

MWF, 10am; Altgeld Hall 145

WWW: http://www.math.uiuc.edu/~kapovich/417-05/417-05.html

Anonymous on-line feedback form is available

SCORE REPORTS -Math Department gradebook program where you can look up your quiz, h/work and exam grades. (You will be prompted for your NetId and password).

The final exam has been graded and the results have been posted via Score Reports. The average score was 138.6/200 and the median score was 135/200. The high score was 198/200 and the low score was 74/200. The final exam results should be approximately interpreted as follows:

Grade	A	B	C	D	F
Range	175-200	148-174	110-147	85-109	0-84

I have assigned the final grades for the course. If you want to know your grade, please e-mail to me individually. Keep in mind that there were three groups of students in the class and their grades were assigned differently: regular undergraduate students, undergraduate students taking the course for and honors credit, and graduate students taking the course for a 4-hour credit.

Those undergraduate students who are taking the course for an honors credit, PLEASE get in touch with me and remind me who you are since I am not sure that my information is up-to-date.

When you a checking your scores, you will see that the extra credit problems have been moved to the files pa(numner).C1. This was done for technical reasons and the scores themselves did not change. For graduate/honors students the extra credit problems are weighted at a 75 point maximum and for the regular students they are weighted at a 50 point maximum.

I will hold office hours on Friday, May 13, 10am-12noon; you can come and take a look at your exams then as well as discuss your grades.

This week I will have office hours on Thursday, May 5, 2:30pm-4:00pm and on Friday, May 6, 10am-12noon. Please check your scores in the Score Reports for correctness and completeness! If there is a problem, you need to resolve it with me BEFORE the date of the final.

The second exam has been graded and the grades have been posted via Score Reports. The solutions are available here. The average score was 70/100 and the median score was 67/100. The high score was 99 and the low score was 43. Out of 23 people who took the test 4 got scores of 90 and higher. The score should be approximately interpreted as follows:

Grade	A	B	C	D	F
Range	87-100	74-86	55-73	43-54	0-42

The 1-st midterm exam has been graded and the grades have been posted via Score Reports. Also, the solutions are available. The average score was 74.6/100 and the median score was 81/100. The high score was 100 and the low score was 25. Out of 23 people who took the test, 8 got a score of 90 and higher. The scores should be interpreted approximately as follows:

Grade	A	B	C	D	F
Range	88-100	77-87	60-76	49-59	0-48

My office hours are Tuesday 4pm-5:30pm, Thursday, 10am-11:30am (and at other times by appointment). You DO NOT need to tell me in advance if you want to see me during the office hours. If you want to come at a different time, you need to schedule an appointment. My office is located in Altgeld Hall, room 365.

PLEASE note: for LAS and engineering students enrolled in this course the deadline for dropping this course without academic penalty and without petition is April 22, 2005. LAS students who wish to drop this course should see the receptionist at the LAS office and ask to be directed to a COAR user, who will process the late drop request without a grade of "W". Engineering students should go to Engineering College Office, 206 Engineering Hall, for assistance with the late drop.

The FINAL EXAM for this course is scheduled for 7:00-10:00 pm, Tuesday, May 10 in our usual classroom. Please make sure now that this time is acceptable for you (if not, you urgently need to register for another section!!!) Keep in mind that I will not entertain any requests for "conflict" final exams from people who do not have what the university officially recognizes as a "conflict". See the official university rules regarding exam conflicts here.

We will be using a Math Department "gradebook" program called the "Score Reports". It will allow you to check on your quiz, h/works and exam scores. I'll post a link here as soon as the Math Office sets up the program for us.

Text:

There is no officially required textbook and we WILL NOT be using the book of Papantopoulou.
Instead, we will be using a new edition of the book by Joseph Rotman "A First Course in Abstract Algebra"
that is being prepared for publication at the moment.
I will disatribute printouts of the relevant chapters (Ch 1-3) of the book.
You can also download a PDF or a PostScript files of the book here.

COURSE SYLLABUS is available here
Telephone: 265-0633
e-mail: kapovich@math.uiuc.edu. (Preferred method of reaching me!)
Office location: Altgeld Hall, room 365
Office hours: Tue 4pm-5:30pm, Th 10am-11:30am, or by appointment
Teaching Assistant: TBA

Homework assignments:

Due Wednesday, January 26: no. 1.2, 1.6, 1.15, 1.16
Due Wednesday, Feb 2: no. 1.27, 1.28, 1.41, 1.52, 1.54, 1.57
Due Wednesday, Feb 9: no. 1.50, 1.59, 1.65, 1.67, 1.71, 1.74, 1.84
Due Wednesday, Feb 16: 2.17, 2.18, 2.19, 2.20, 2.23, 2.24
Due Wednesday, March 2: no. 2.32, 2.33, 2.36, 2.37, 2.39
Due Wednesday, March 9: no. 2.47, 2.49, 2.50, 2.54 (see hint here) , 2.55
Due Wednesday, March 16: no. 2.58, 2.60, 2.64, 2.70
Due Wednesday, March 30: no. 2.85, 2.86, 2.93, 2.94, 2.96
Due Wednesday, April 6: no. 2.102, 2.104, 2.112, 2.114, 2.117
Due Wednesday, Aprl 20: no 3.4, 3.9, 3.12, 3.14, 3.16, 3.18
Due Wednesday, April 27: no. 3.28, 3.33, 3.39, 3.43, 3.48, 3.52
Due Wednedsay, May 4: no. 3.87, 3.89, 3.96 (will not be collected)

Extra credit problems (obligatory for the graduate students taking this course for a 4 hour credit and optional for everyone else)

Due Friday, February 4: no. 1.14, 1.26, 1.31
Due Friday. February 11: no. 1.66, 1.75, 1.76
Due Friday, February 18: no. 2.25, 2.29, 2.31
Due Friday, March 4: no. 2.38, 2.40, 2.42
Due Friday, March 11: no. 2.48, 2.51, 2.53
Due Friday, March 18: no. 2.72, 2.74, 2.79
Due Friday, April 1: no. 2.87, 2.89, 2.98
Due Friday, April 8: no. 2.106, 2.110, 2.116
Due Friday, April 22: no. 3.6, 3.24, 3.26
Due Friday April 29: no. 3.37, 3.47, 3.53

Available course material:

How this course is graded.

There will be two one-hour midterm exams during the semester. Each of them counts a maximum of 100 points.
The 1-st midterm is currently scheduled for Monday, February 21. The 2-nd Midterm is currently scheduled for Monday, April 11.
The final exam counts a maximum of 200 points. The final exam will take place on Tuesday, May 10, 7pm-10pm.
The homework will be collected on Wednesdays. Homework will be checked for completeness and several selected problems from each homework will be graded for correctness. Homework contributes a maximum of 100 points towards you final score. For the h/work assigned during a particular week the due date will be Wednesday of the following week. Late homework is generally not accepted!! At the end of the term two low h/work grades will be dropped.
There will be a quiz almost every Friday (except for the 1-st week and the weeks of the midterms). Quizzes contribute a maximum of 75 points towards the final score. At the end of the course your lowest quiz grade is dropped. Make-up quizzes are administered provided you give me a compelling and convincing (to my satisfaction) explanation as to why you had to miss a regular quiz. Make-up quiz problems will be harder than the regular ones.
A modest number of "extra credit" points will be assigned for active class participation and for regular attendance.
Thus your final course score will be a maximum of 100+100+100+75+200=575 points. The final curve determining letter grade cut-off levels for the course will only be determined at the end of the term, but you should use the scale of the first midterm as a guide.
Although I expect you to regularly attend classes, non-attendance will not be penalized provided you do all the required course-work on time. HOWEVER, I take a very dim view of people coming in late or exiting the classroom early!!
For each of the midterm exams and for the final exam you are allowed to use: one two-sided 8''x11'' "cheat-sheet" of notes and formulas (two sheets for the final exam) AND a graphing calculator.
No textbooks or lecture notes are allowed on the exams.
The final exam will be cumulative and will include all the material covered during the course.
The final curve will be determined only at the end of the course.

Back to Ilya Kapovich's homepage

Extra credit problems (obligatory for the graduate students taking this course for a 4 hour credit and optional for everyone else)

Due Friday, February 4: no. 1.14, 1.26, 1.31

Available course material:

How this course is graded.