Class Meetings: Monday and Wednesday 2:40-3:55 PM, Mathematics Building 507.
Round Table Discussion: Friday at 1 PM in 528 Mathematics, led by Chuck Cadman (cadman@math.columbia.edu). The purpose of this round table is to help students who do not have quite the necessary background in algebra acquire it (for example in field theory); to review topics with other subjects that may not be familiar to some of you (for example the notion of a topology), and, of course, to help with the homework.
Prerequisites: a year of undergraduate algebra, such as Math V4041-4042
Required Text:
The book is available at Labyrinth Books, 536 W 112th Street. You need to have access to it on a regular basis. A copy is on reserve in the Mathematics Library.
Recommended Text: The following book is probably the best introduction to Commutative Algebra, and has very good exercises. Eisenbud's book is more up-to-date and more comprehensive, but perhaps more difficult for the novice. There are 4 copies on reserve in the library.
Course Objectives and Topics: This course is the first half of a two semester introduction to arithmetic and algebraic geometry. Here are the topics we will cover:
Concrete examples will be given in all cases.
Grading Policy: There will be one midterm and a final. Homework will be assigned regularly from both texts, and may be spot-checked. It is very important that you attempt all the homework: this is the most important part of the course.