MATH 662 Seminar in Algebra - Abstract Algebra
Spring 2017

Professor: Dr. Sue Geller
Office: 219 B Blocker
Office Hours: by appointment made at /undergraduate/advising/ and click on me.
Email: geller@math.tamu.edu

Fax: 979-862-4190 and be sure to put my name on it.

Welcome to the home page for Math 662 Seminar in Algebra - Abstract Algebra for the Spring of 2016. These pages will continue to be under construction, so please check them regularly for any changes, especially in due dates and assignments.

This course will consist of reading assignments, problem assignments, and tests. You may find yourself challenged in new ways by the assignments because some of the problems are difficult. If using other sources, please give references. Note: The answers to all the homework can be found on the web. You may not look them up, paraphrase them, and give reference. That is cheating and plagiarism. Also, if you started this course before and dropped it, you may not use the solutions I sent out to you as that is plagiarism also, not to mention you won't learn enough to pass the tests if you copy the homework answers.

Information needed from you immediately

Textbook

Dummit and Foote, Abstract Algebra, third edition, Wiley and Sons, 2003.

The rest of the materials will be available in .pdf form from this website or my homepage. We will be using Piazza.com as a discussion board/place to ask questions and get help and a place for me to place announcements. You will receive an email from Piazza asking you to enroll. Please do. I monitor the discussion and toss in suggestions or answers as I think I can be helpful. Since that can't be set up until I hear from all of you, my first announcement is that I will be traveling on 2-5 February when I will be taking students to a conference in Nebraska, so will have less email access than usual. Please know that I have one copy of the book and don't carry it with me. Please put not only the problem number in the start of a question stream but also copy the problem onto piazza. Another source of help is essays which I wrote to expand upon the text, since the text was written for a local class. Thus I wish to give information that would typically be given in class. Please note that the essays/lectures are copywrited by me. To access the lectures, click here.-->

Homework

Tests, Final, and Points

Grades

Your final grade will be determined by your performance on the homework, tests and final. The grading scheme is:

  • 360 to 400 is an A.
  • 320 to 359 is a B.
  • 280 to 319 is a C.
  • 240 to 279 is a D.
  • 0 to 239 is an F.
  • Late Work

    I realize that almost all of you are working and/or have families, so you have different constraints than students on campus. It is very helpful to me as well as useful for you to do each assignment on time. For example, I know from experience, as do many of you, that it is much harder to grade fairly when papers are graded at various times. Therefore, late work will not be accepted without prior arrangements, but reasonable excuses will be accepted as long as the privilege is not abused. When arranging for late work, be prepared to tell me when you will get the work to me.

    Notes:

  • If you want to discuss a problem by voice (i.e. phone), please give me some times when you will be available, and I'll try to call you then. Otherwise you may call me at work but I have a lot of meetings so am not always in my office.

  • All email correspondence must contain the course number in the subject heading so that I can easily distinguish it from my other class, spam, and other types of correspondence.

  • Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated.

    Simply changing some words from a passage is still plagiarism unless you reference the source. There is an old quip "Stealing from one source is plagiarism, from many research." As with most quips, it is both true and false. To be true research there needs to be something from yourself in the essay/answer. The truth in the quip is that research is built on the results of many before us, but they need to be given the credit for their work for it to be morally, ethically, and legally correct. Also, simply copying an answer from someone is both cheating and plagiarism. I repeat from above that you may not use the solutions to the problems in the book that are out on the web. Don't cheat nor plagiarize.

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy Statement

    The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact Disability Services, currently located in the Disability Services building at the Student Services at White Creek complex on west campus or call 979-845-1637. For additional information, visit http://disability.tamu.edu.

  • Academic Integrity Statement

    "An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do." See the Honor Council Rules and Procedures for more information.

     

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    Last update: 30 November 2016