Math 310 - Introduction to Modern Algebra - Course Policies
Course: Math 310
Email: [email protected]
Section: 003
Math Office: Avery Hall 203, 402.472.3731
Course Meeting Time: 11:30-12:20 MWF
My Office: Avery Hall 315
Course Meeting Location: Oldfather Hall 207
Office Hours: Mondays 1:30-2:20
Course Website: http://www.math.unl.edu/~s-kshulti1/310S14.html Wednesdays 1:30-3:20
ACE Outcome 3: This course satisfies ACE Outcome 3. You will apply mathematical reasoning
and computations to draw conclusions, solve problems, and learn to check to see if your answer
is reasonable. Your instructor will provide examples, you will discuss them in class, and you will
practice with numerous homework problems. The assignments (quizzes, homework, exams, and proof
portfolio) will test how well you’ve mastered the material.
Book: A Concrete Introduction to Higher Algebra (3rd Edition), by Lindsay Childs.
Course Description and Goals: The official course bulletin describes this course in the following
way: “Elementary number theory, including induction, the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, and
modular arithmetic. Introduction to rings and fields as natural extension of the integers. Particular
emphasis on the study of polynomials with coefficients in the rational, real, or complex numbers.”
However, it is one thing to list topics and another to indicate what students should learn from a class.
To that end, this course has 3 main goals.
1. The first goal is to learn some interesting mathematics. I believe that the content of this course
is interesting and enjoyable, and I hope that you’ll agree on that by the end of the semester.
2. The second goal is to begin to learn how to read mathematics (I say “begin” because this
is something that you will continue to improve upon throughout your mathematical careers.).
Reading mathematics is not like reading in general for many reasons. In order to successfully read
most mathematics, you must have a pencil and paper in hand to try examples and work out the
details of what is being left out in some way. Additionally, mathematics is a language that you’re
learning with a lot of very specific vocabulary, and so you may have to read something several
times in order to fully understand it. I will do my best to help you learn to read mathematics,
but much of this is an individual and independent task.
3. The third, and possibly most important, goal is to learn to communicate mathematics. This
goal will manifest itself in learning to write clear, concise, and correct proofs of mathematical
statements. This goal is the main reason for the proof portfolio assignment.
Respect/Courtesy: Respect is an important part of your classroom behavior. This means you
should not be talking with your neighbors or using any electronic devices during class. Please treat
your fellow classmates with respect by not disturbing them during class. If you need to leave early or
arrive late, please do so quietly.
Attendance: If you know that you’ll miss class for any reason, make sure to email me in advance.
If you cannot email me in advance, it is also acceptable to send me an email after class letting me
know why you weren’t able to make it to class. I will not accept any late homework or proof portfolio
drafts, nor will there be any makeup quizzes or exams.
Participation: Your participation in class is essential. If you have a question, please ask it. If I
make a mistake (and I will), please let me know so that your fellow students are not confused. If I ask
a question, please take a moment to think about it, and then raise your hand when you have an answer.
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Assignments
Your grade will be computed from your work in five categories: homework, quizzes, tests, proof
portfolio, and final exam. Below you will find descriptions of each category.
Homework: I will assign homework regularly and it will always be due on Fridays in class. I will do
my best to return homework assignments on Mondays, but there may be some weeks when this is not
possible. I will grade some nontrivial (and frequently proper) subset of each homework assignment.
Each problem graded will be on a 4 point scale according to the rubric on the next page. Your grade
on the homework will be computed as an average over all problems graded throughout the semester
and will count for 20% of your grade. You should take pride in the homework you turn in. As such,
it should be neat, legible, well organized, and stapled. Homework that does not meet these standards
will not be graded. You are strongly encouraged to use LATEX, a (free) professional mathematical
typesetting program, to type your homework (more on this when we discuss the proof portfolio in the
second week of classes).
Quizzes: On weeks when there is no exam (including 15th week), we will have a quiz. The quizzes
will always be held in the first 5 minutes of Monday’s class (although the first quiz will be Wednesday,
January 22nd since Monday, January 20th there is no class). The purpose of the quizzes is to make
sure that you’re remembering (and understanding) important definitions, examples, and theorems.
The quizzes will only cover material in the previous Monday, Wednesday and Friday’s classes. All
quizzes will be graded out of 4 points on a scale similar to the homework, and I will count your top
10 quizzes at the end of the semester for 8% of your final grade.
Tests: There will be 2 tests during the semester. These exams will be given on Monday, February
17th and Monday, April 7th. More details on exams (including what types of problems to expect and
what content they’ll cover) will be given as we get closer to the exam dates. Each test will account
for 13% of your grade.
Proof Portfolio: Learning to write proofs is not an easy or quick task. The best way to enhance
your proof writing skills is by receiving feedback on your work and then re-writing the proofs based
upon that feedback. Unfortunately, once homework and exams been turned in and graded, there is
typically no incentive to improve upon your work. The goal of the proof portfolio is to improve your
proof writing skills by having you work several drafts of proofs throughout the semester. You should
view the proof portfolio as a semester-long project that we’ll work on together. I’ll give you more
details on the proof portfolio in the second week of classes, but here’s the short version:
You’ll be given 8 portfolio problems throughout the semester. Some of these problems may be
problems you’ve already worked on homework, but some will also be new problems. You may sometimes get some choice as to which problems you do, but you will not always have a choice. You’ll turn
in drafts regularly, and you’ll get a grade at the end of the semester. Most of your grade on the proof
portfolio will be based upon your final submission, but some will also be based upon the completion of
drafts. All problems will be submitted, graded, and returned using Dropbox, so you’ll need to create
a Dropbox account. The proof portfolio will be worth 20% of your grade.
Final Exam: There will be a cumulative final exam. The final exam will be Monday, May 5th,
10am-noon. You are expected to arrange your personal and work schedules to allow you to take the
final exam at the scheduled time. In particular, don’t make (or allow anyone else to make for you)
vacation or flight arrangements that would prevent you from taking the exam. No student will be
allowed to take the final exam early. The final exam will be worth 26% of your grade.
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Grading
Rubric for Homework (and Quizzes):
5 A score of 5 is rare and is reserved for the very best work which goes above and beyond what was
expected and is considered to be given extra credit.
4 A score of 4 is for very good work. Solutions earning a score of 4 will be well written, mathematically
have very few (if any) minor errors, and will have clear explanations. A score of 4 is considered
to be full credit.
3 A score of 3 is for good work. Solutions earning a score of 3 are similar to those earning a score of
4, but are characterized by having one of the following issues: more mathematical errors, more
serious mathematical errors, insufficiently clear explanations, or many spelling/grammar errors.
2 A score of 2 is for substantial progress. Solutions earning a score of 2 are similar to those earning a score of 3, but are characterized by having several of the following issues: more mathematical errors, more serious mathematical errors, insufficiently clear explanations, or many
spelling/grammar errors.
1 A score of 1 is for minimal progress. Solutions earning a score of 1 are characterized by having some
ideas that might lead to a solution/proof, but no actual solution/proof is presented.
0 A score of 0 indicates that the problem is missing (at least morally) from the assignment. More
specifically, in order to earn points on a problem, it is not enough to list the problem even if you
say you don’t know how to do it. You must actually make some progress, however minimal in
order to earn points. Illegible work will receive a score of 0.
Grading Distribution: The following table is a summary of your grade distribution.
Homework
Quizzes
Exam 1
Exam 2
Proof Portfolio
Final Exam
Total
20%
8%
13%
13%
20%
26%
100%
Grading Scale: The following is a very tentative grading scale. In reality, this scale will probably be
relaxed somewhat as the semester progresses (and I’ll let you know about changes that happen during
the semester), but you will not receive a grade lower than the one indicated by the scale.
A+
A
A-
97%
93%
90%
B+
B
B-
87%
83%
80%
C+
C
C-
77%
73%
70%
D+
D
D-
67%
63%
60%
If you are taking this pass/no pass, you must receive at least a C (not a C-) to pass.
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Approximate Schedule
Disclaimer: This is an approximate plan of what we will cover this semester. The topics are somewhat subject to change. If time permits, I would like your input on what you are most interested in
learning about. The main topics this semester are covered in the following sections of the book:
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
2
3, Sections A, B, C, D
4
5, Sections A, B, C, E
6, Sections B, C, E
7, Sections A, C, D
9, Sections A, B, C, E
10, Section A
12, Section A
13, Sections A, B
14, Sections A, B, C
15, Sections D, F
16, Sections A, B
23, Sections A, B, C
Important Dates:
January 13
January 20
January 21
January 24
February 17
March 7
March 23 - 30
April 7
April 11
April 23
May 2
May 5, 10am-noon
First Day of Class (obviously)
Martin Luther King Day - no class
Last day to add a class
Last day to drop a class (and have it removed from your record)
Exam 1
Last day to change a course to or from Pass/No Pass
Spring Break - no class
Exam 2
Last day to withdraw from a class
Proof Portfolio Due
Last day of class
Our final exam time
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Other Policies
Website and Blackboard: Most course handouts will be posted on the course website. Please take
note of the site on the first page. Additionally, I will use the Blackboard system to allow you to view
your grades, and to make announcements. Please become familiar with Blackboard so that you can
use it effectively. The Blackboard website is http://blackboard.unl.edu. In order to receive the
email announcements through Blackboard, you must ensure that your email address is up to date in
MyRED (http://myred.unl.edu), since Blackboard resets to this email address daily.
Grade Dispute Guidelines: If you would like to dispute a grade on an assignment, you should
compose a written (typed) argument detailing why you believe you deserve a different grade. Your
argument should be between half a page and two pages. If the dispute is minor (for example, if I made
a mistake in adding up your points), you may speak with me during my office hours. You may only
dispute a grade within one week of receiving it.
Academic Dishonesty: Don’t even think about it. Everything you turn in should be your own work,
or referenced appropriately. In this class, it will be very rare that you have anything to reference as
almost everything will be your own work, but please don’t hesitate to ask questions on how to reference
your sources (including the textbook). Any form of academic dishonesty will NOT be tolerated, and
may result in a failing grade for the course!
ADA Notice: Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the instructor for a confidential
discussion of their individual needs for academic accommodation. It is the policy of the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln to provide flexible and individualized accommodation to students with documented
disabilities that may affect their ability to fully participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. To receive accommodation services, students must be registered with the Services for
Students with Disabilities (SSD) office, 132 Canfield Administration, 472-3787 voice or TTY.
I reserve the right to make changes to the above class policies at any time.
Any changes will be announced in class and through Blackboard.
The Department of Mathematics does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the
basis of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. If you believe you have been
subject to discrimination or harassment, in this or any math course, please contact the
department. If, for this or any other reason, you believe your grade was assigned
incorrectly or capriciously, appeals may be made to (in order): the instructor, the
department chair, the departmental grading appeals committee, the college grading
appeals committee, and the university grading appeals committee.
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March
April
May
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Finals
13
20
27
3
10
17
24
3
10
17
24
31
7
14
21
28
5
N/A – first day of class
N/A – MLK day
Q2
Q3
Q4
E1
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
N/A – spring break!
Q9
E2
Q10
Q11
Q12
Final Exam
N/A – too early in semester
Q1
P(1,1)
P(1,2); P(2,1)
P(2,2); P(3,1)
P(3,2)
P(4,1)
P(4,2); P(5,1)
P(5,2); P(6,1)
P(6,2)
N/A – spring break!
P(7,1); P(8,1)
P(7,2)
P(8,2)
Portfolio Due
N/A – too close to exam
17
24
31
7
14
21
28
7
14
21
28
4
11
18
25
2
As
sig
nm
e
HW1
HW2
HW3
HW4
N/A – too close to exam
HW5
HW6
HW7
HW8
HW9
N/A – spring break!
N/A – too close to exam
HW10
HW11
HW12
N/A – too close to exam
Ke
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Fri
d
Fri
d
ay
Da
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me
15
22
29
5
12
19
26
5
12
19
26
2
9
16
23
30
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We
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Mo
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Mo
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February
We
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January
Du
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Assignment Due Date Calendar
HW
Quiz
Exam
1 Portfolio Draft Due
2 Portfolio Drafts Due
Vacation
Nothing Due
Portfolio Due
P(problem #, draft #)
First Few Assignments
Introduction This consists of two parts and is due by Friday 17 January 2014 at 5pm.
1. The first part is to find my office and sign the sheet on my door. Avery can be a challenging
building to navigate, and not being able to find my office is a really poor reason not to do
well in this course.
2. The second is to turn in an information sheet to me. This can be turned in during class, in
office hours, or via email. Your information sheet should answer the following questions:
• What is your name as I’ll see it on the grade roster, and what do you prefer to be
called?
• What is your major, and how long have you been at UNL?
• What math courses have you taken before this one? Names of courses are better than
numbers, and brief descriptions are best.
• Why are you taking this course? What you hope to learn from the course is more useful
to me here than knowing that the course is required for your major. In particular, you
probably have at least a few choices of math courses you could take, so I want to know
why you chose this one.
• What other math courses, if any, do you plan on taking after this one?
• What is something that is interesting or unique about you? For example, I grew up in
California and was a competitive gymnast at a national level.
• Is there anything else I need to know about you that might affect your performance in
this class? For example, if you have a learning disability or are involved in athletics,
this would be a great place to tell me that, but don’t feel limited by that. I once
had someone tell me on this question that they like turtles, and since he found that
important for me to know, I was happy to know it.
Dropbox This assignment is due Wednesday 22 January 2014 at 5pm. Create an account on Dropbox
http://www.dropbox.com, and send me an email from the email you used to sign up for your
Dropbox account. You’ll know you’ve done this right when you get an email from me sharing a
Dropbox folder with you with your name to use for your portfolio submissions.
Homework #1 This is due Friday 17 January 2014 in class. See first homework sheet handed out
in class for the specifics.
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