University of Massachusets, Amherst
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
Fall 2016
MATH 411.2 Intro to Abstract Algebra I
(34737)
Sep 3, - Dec. 6 2013.
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Office : 1235I Lederle Graduate Tower.
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Email : mirkovic@math.umass.edu
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Phone : 545-6023.
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Meet :
TuTh 1:00PM - 2:15PM, in Hasbrouck Laboratory room 138.
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Office hours :
In my office: Tuesday 2:30-3:30, Wenesday 1:00-2:00.
   
Check here for changes -- temporary or permanent.
The FINAL EXAM PROJECT:
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Project.
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This is a take home exam project.
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It is due December 9th.
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You can leave it in my mailbox on the 16th floor of LGRT
during working hours or in my office 1235I at any time.
(If I am not in push it under the door.)
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REVIEW SESSION for The Final project:
Tuesday December 3rd at 7:00 (in our clasroom).
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The 2nd REVIEW SESSION for The Final project:
Friday December 6th at 6:00 (in our clasroom).
No !!! ADDITIONAL OFFICE HOUR !!!
The exam material will be also partly covered in class.
Notice that actions of groups on sets are not covered
in the book.
This idea is explained in
Actions of Groups on Sets
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SYLLABUS
It contains general information on topics, exams, grade, course structure
and policies.
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Symmetries and Groups.
The notes do not replace the lectures
or the book.
The goal is mostly to say clearly what we are doing
and to occassionally add some extra explanations.
These notes should develop during the semester.
HOMEWORKS
There will be weekly homeworks. They will be due in class
a week after they appear on this web page.
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HW1. Due THURSDAY September 12 in class.
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HW2. Due THURSDAY September 19 in class.
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HW3. Due THURSDAY September 26 in class.
[Homework 3 bas been updated with minor clarifications reflecting
the in class discussion.]
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HW4. Due THURSDAY October 3rd in class.
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HW56. Due THURSDAY October 17th in class.
This is the sample exam.
CHANGES in the 56-homework and the 1st exam coverage.
The problems 0,0',3,3'a are postponed for Homework 7.
This means that the following topics
will not be on this exam:
complex numbers, roots of unity groups,
listing all subgroups of a group.
HW7. Due THURSDAY October 31st in class.
HW8. Due November 21st at the exam.
EXAMS.
There will be two midterm exams and a final exam or a final project.
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EXAM 1.
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REVIEW SESSION for EXAM 1:
Wedenesday October 9th at 7:00 IN OUR CLASSROOM
(Hopefully it will be in our classrom.)
Check here for the place.
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The sample exam is Long and some of it is Hard.
The idea is that once you can do this you should be OK at the exam.
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The actual exam will be much shorter, the length of the exam will be
appropriate so that you can do the work in the scheduled time.
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Notice that we will meet
(October 8-10)
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and will not meet after that (and before the exam)
since there is no class on Tuesday the 15th.
So, the time to ask questions is the
week of October 8-10 !
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The week of the exam I will be away and will be replaced by Alexei Oblomkov
for both proctoring the exam and for the office hour on Wednesday.
We will have no class/office hour on Tuesday because of Monday schedule.
ADDITIONAL OFFICE HOUR:
Thursday teh 10th after class.
We will start in the classroom and move to my office when needed.
HOW TO LEARN abstract MATHEMATICS.
The following is what I see as the {\em basic} approach
towards learning mathematics at the conceptual level.
The procedure is
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(0)
You start by hearing (or reading) of a new idea, new procedure, new trick.
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(1)
To make sense of it you check what it means in sufficiently many
examples. You discuss it with teachers and friends.
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(2)
After you see enough examples you get to the point where you
think that you more or less get it. Now you attempt
the last (and critical)
step:
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(3)retell this idea or procedure, theorem, proof or
whatever it is, to yourself in YOUR OWN words.
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More on step (3).
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Trying to memorize someone else's formulation,
is a beginning but it is far from what you really need.
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You should get to the stage where you can
tell it as a story,
as if you are teaching someone else.
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When you can do this, and your story makes sense
to you,
you are done. You own it now.
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However, if at some point you find
a piece that does not make sense, then you have to
return to one of the earlier steps (1--3) above.
Repeat this process as many times as necessary.