MATH W4041: Introduction to Modern Algebra I

Fall, 1998
Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:40pm-3:55pm, 417 Mathematics
Dave Bayer (x42643, 426 Mathematics)

Department page | Bulletin page
http://www.math.columbia.edu/~bayer/F98/algebra.html
Prerequisite: MATH V2010: Linear Algebra.
Text: Algebra, by Michael Artin. Prentice Hall, 1991, ISBN 0-13-004763-5. (Amazon.com) This semester we will cover most of chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Exams: There will be two exams (25 points each) and a final (50 points), spaced every five weeks throughout the semester.

The exams are mandatory, and must be taken on time. I generally give good grades, and rarely flunk people, but the start of a slide towards failure always seems to start with some excuse why an exam needs to be delayed! Let's not.
Teaching Assistant: Jennifer Austin is our TA. She will be holding a weekly problem session, with a rotating schedule, to go over homework problems in preparation for our exams. She also holds office hours in the math help room, each Wednesday from 12 to 1.

Problem Sessions:
Office Hours: My office hours are Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:00pm-5:30pm, in my office, 426 Mathematics. I will often be around at other times in the afternoon; stop by, or check by email or phone.
Handouts and Practice Exams: The following course materials are posted in Acrobat .pdf format. Acrobat Reader is a free program which is probably already installed on any public machine you are using. You can also download it from http://www.adobe.com/acrobat/.
Assignments:

Final grades (password required)