Title: College Algebra with Applications
Instructor: Professor Joel M. Cohen

Office: MTH 2313, Telephone: (301)405-5109
Home phone: (202)546-1823.

Class Time: T-Th 11:00 am-12:15 pm
Location: EGR 0135
Book:  Contemporary Abstract Algebra, seventh edition, by Joseph Gallian, 2010, Houghton Mifflin, ISBN-13: 978-0-547-16509-0
Web Program supplement: There is a useful set of software programs that will help in understanding the homework problems.  It can be found at Gallian's web site.  
 

Office Hours:  T-Th 10:00-10:50  Occasionally, it may be necessary to change this time, so let me know if you are planning to see me. Feel free to ask for an appointment at a different if you cannot see me during those hours. You can also send me email. I will answer queries as quickly as possible during office hours, and as time permits otherwise.

Tutoring: T-W-Th 1:00-2:00  Mr. Manjit Bhatia will be tutoring Math 403, M,T,W,Th 1-2 and Monday and Wednesday 11-12.  He is in room 4413 in the Math Building.  His email is mbhatia@math.umd.edu.  To schedule an appointment, choose an appropriate time slot and send an email including the day/time that you would like to come, your course/text, a list of problems/topics that you would like to discuss. Normally, you will get a response within 24 hours either to confirm your appointment or to suggest an alternate time.  This schedule is subject to change. Please check these websites for updates: http://www.math.umd.edu/undergraduate/resources/tutoring_schedule_Spring_11.pdf
http://www.math.umd.edu/undergraduate/resources

    Math 403 is the more theoretical of the two upper-level undergraduate abstract algebra courses at the University of Maryland, and is designed for students planning to do graduate work in mathematics. It will cover the basics of groups, rings, integral domains and fields.   Students who have already had Math 406 will find some of the topics very famliar and some of the work easier.  On the other hand, those who take Math 406 after having taken Math 403 will find Math 406 somewhat easier.
 

        Makeup exams will not be given.  If you have an excused absence for an exam, the grade will be replaced by 1/2 of the average of the other two exam grades.  If you have taken all three exams, the lowest grade will count for half.  Excused absences will be given only for valid medical reasons, University business, or appearances in court.  Excused homework will not be used in computing the final grade.  Any unexcused absences on exams (including the final) or unexcused late homework will be counted as zero.  Any student with a valid reason to be excused from an exam must contact before the exam or  immediately after, either by email or by phone, and present documentation at the next class session attended.  Any student who needs to be excused for a religious observance should let me know as soon as possible, but in any case no later than the end of the schedule adjustment period.
 

Homework:  Homework problems from the text are listed below.   Homework will be due each Monday and will be on everything covered the previous week.  Requested problems will be discussed in class - after the homework is collected, if they are assigned problems.  Note that the odd numbered problems are done at the back of the book.  Try doing the odd numbered problems without looking.  For the even numberede problems, if you are stuck, try looking at the answer to an odd numbered problem that is similar.
 

Grading: A total of 550 points is available in the course:
 

Web Posting:  If you have given written permission to post your grades under an alias, you may check the grades by clicking here.

Quality: The quality of presentation of solutions will be taken seriously in this course in the grading of tests and quizzes.
 

The schedule of exams follows:
 

A tentative schedule of homework follows. There may be changes made as the semester progresses.

    § Changes in the program are possible.  The Math 403 WEB PAGE (jcohen.me/403) will be kept up-to-date as changes are made.