Class Number 15507 TR
5:30 – 6:45 Room CR5124
Prof. Mary Rosen
Office: SN 408 (Santa Susana Hall, formerly FOB or Faculty Office
Building)
Office phone: (818) 677-7791 Math Department (SN
114): (818) 677-2721
Email address: mary.rosen@csun.edu
Office hours: T 11:00 – 12:00, 4:00
– 5:00
Th 4:00 – 5:00
and by appointment
Course Objective: Math
360 is a survey course in abstract algebra. We will study the
basic objects of algebra – rings, fields, groups (and vector spaces, if
time permits) – and focus on the common themes to the study of these
objects.
We have an ideal text for this course:
TEXT: Rings, Fields, Vectors Spaces, and Groups
An Introduction to Abstract Algebra
By B. A. Sethuraman
California State University, Northridge
You must be an active participant when reading this text (this applies
to every book on mathematics). Woven throughout the text are
questions and boxed off exercises. You should attempt to answer
these while reading through the material. You should try to
convince yourself of every statement made. At the end of each
chapter, there are “Further Exercises” as well as “Notes” which contain
remarks, hints on certain exercises, and discussions on topics beyond
the course. Homework exercises will be assigned with each class
and there will be several collected homework sets.
Course Requirements and Grading:
There will be 2 in-class examinations, 2 quizzes, and a (comprehensive)
final exam that is scheduled on Tuesday, May 11,
5:30 – 7:30.
I will compute your grade three ways as follows using the +/- grading
system:
2 exams 20% each
lower exam 15%
2 quizzes 10% each
higher exam 20%
HW Sets 15%
2 quizzes 10% each
Final exam 25%
HW Sets 15%
Final exam 30%
Note: I’ll also work this out with the 2 exams 15% each and
the Final exam 35%.
Other References:
1. Modern Algebra: An Introduction, by J. Durbin
2. A First Course in Abstract Algebra, by J.
Fraleigh