Math 4023: applied algebra

Information about this course

• Text book: Modern algebra and discrete structures, by Robert Lax.
• Class times and place: MWF 8:40 - 9:30am, Locket 240
• Office hours: MTWF: Locket 210. 11:30am - 12, or by appointment.
• Homework: There will be one homework most weeks. Total 12 or 13 homeworks. Some homeworks will be given using webwork. Homework grades will be stored in semester book. I will also suggest ungraded homework problems to be attempted after each class, on the topics covered in the class.
• Please practice using the Webwork homework as soon as possible. Your user name is your paws ID. passwork initially social security number. Please change this on your first login.
• Tests: (in class time)
  • test 1: Wednesday February 14
  • test 2: Wednesday March 28
• Final Exam: Monday May 7, 3 - 5pm
• Computation of final grade:
  • 20% homework, computed from best 10 homeworks
  • 20% test 1
  • 20% test 2
  • 40% final exam
• Grading scale: 90-100%=A, 80-90%=B, 70-80%=C, 60-70%=D.
• Make up policy: No tests or exams can be dropped, but make up exams are possible in the case of illness or unavoidable absences, e.g., for job interview, or clash with exams for other courses, provided you have documentation to prove your reason for absence. This should be given in advance of the day of the exam where possible.
• Course web page: http://www.math.lsu.edu/~verrill/teaching/math4023/index.html
• Course outline:
  • Introduction to proof, induction, relations (chapter 1 and 2)
  • Finite state machines (chapters 1 and 2)
  • Symmetries and group theory (chapter 3)
  • Elementary number theory (chapter 1 and 4)
  • More advanced number theory and cryptography (chapter 4)
  • Coding theory (chapter 5)
• Refer to last year's course page at http://www.math.lsu.edu/~verrill/teaching/math4023/spring2006/index.html. This course will probably have a similar schedule of topics, but different homework and grading scheme.
• There are some typos in the text book - see http://www.math.lsu.edu/~lax/errata.pdf for corrections.
• Contents of tests and exams: Questions on tests and exams will be similar to examples given in class, and to homework questions, both graded and ungraded. The final exam covers all topics of course.

Handout outs and other class material

• For week 4, Wednesday February 7:
  • Notes on relations
  • Homework on relations (should be replaced by a webwork version)
  • Example of multiplcation in modular arithmetic