Time and place: MW 2:40-3:55pm Location: Milbank Hall 328
Lecturer: Walter Neumann (x45074, 616 Mathematics, neumann@math.columbia.edu, www.math.columbia.edu/~neumann); office hours MW11-12 or by appointment
Teaching Assistants: Kristen Hendricks and Rachel Vishnepolsky

This is the first semester of a two-semester sequence on Abstract Algebra. This semester will concentrate on Group Theory, roughly the material of chapters 1-3 and 7 of the text book (Fraleigh Ed.7) or chapters 3-5 of Robinson's text (see below).

Text: John Fraleigh, A First Course in Abstract Algebra, seventh edition, Reading, Addison Wesley Longman, 2003. Available at the University bookstore; see also AddALL.

Other recommended texts. There are very many texts in Abstract Algebra and just browsing the library is recommended for further examples, history, or different treatment of the material. Here is a selection of some recommended ones.

Derek J.S. Robinson, An Introduction to Abstract Algebra, de Gruyter, 2003.
Thomas Hungerford, Abstract Algebra: An Introduction, Brooks Cole, 1996.
Joseph Gallian, Contemporary Abstract Algebra, fifth edition, Houghton-Mifflin, 2002.
Michael Artin, Algebra, Prentice-Hall, 1991.
David Dummit, Richard Foote, Barbar Holland, Abstract Algebra, John Wiley, 1999
I Herstein, Topics in Algebra, John Wiley, 1975.

Homework: There will be weekly problem sets, due at the beginning of class on Wednesdays. Although only a portion of the homework will be graded, you should attempt every homework problem and eventually understand how to do every problem correctly. Collaboration and discussion with classmates is encouraged, but you must write up assignments individually.

Homework 1 is temporarily posted here

Exams: There will be two 75-minute midterm exams and a final. Tentative schedule:

• First Exam, Wed Oct 7
• Second Exam, Wed Nov 11
• Final: this is centrally scheduled by the University; their tentative schedule is Wed Dec 23 1:10-4:00pm.. It must be taken at the scheduled time.

Grading: The final course grade will be determined by:

Homework: 25%
Midterm exams each: 25%,
Final exam: 25%.

Help: My office hours are MW 11-12 or by appointment. Help is also available without appointment in the Mathematics help room (406 Mathematics).