Instructor: Jonathan Sands, Room 404, 16 Colchester Ave. (Henry Marcus Lord House)
Reach me at: 656-4339 or sands@math.uvm.edu
Office hours: M, Tu, W, F 1-2  and by appointment. Or send me your question by email.
Homepage: http://www.cems.uvm.edu/~sands/252s09/index.html This includes the syllabus, homework assignments, and other useful information.

Goals: How can we use our knowledge of groups to determine whether a polynomial equation is solvable by radicals (has solutions which can be expressed using only multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, and roots)? How can one theorem classify finitely generated abelian groups and lead to Jordan canonical form for matrices at the same time? The answer to the first question is provided by  field theory and Galois theory, while the answer to the second is provided by the study of vector spaces, rings, and modules. These will be some of the highlights of this course covering the core material in chapters 8 through 14 of our textbook.

Text: Abstract Algebra, Third  Edition, By Dummit and Foote. The library has many other volumes listed under the headings of modern algebra, abstract algebra, and Galois theory. I recommend finding one that especially suits your taste as a supplementary text. See Resources.

Homework: I will assign weekly homework for your fun and profit by posting it on the web page. Problem sets covering the material each week will normally be due on the following Monday at the beginning of class. I am willing to provide feedback on drafts of homework solutions during office hours up through the day before homework is due. You are encouraged to work on and turn in homework as a team effort, with teams consisting of 2-3 students.

Tests: There will be a closed-book take-home test on chapters 8 and 9 due on Feb. 23, and another such test on chapters 10, 11, and 12 due on Mar. 30.

Final Exam: There will be a take-home exam during Exam Week May 4-9.

Course Grades: Each of the 2 tests will be worth 15% of your grade and the final exam will be worth 25%. The remaining 45% will be based on your homework. Letter grades will be assigned in accordance with the traditional standards for this course. In particular, a numerical grade of 85% will translate into at least an A-, 70% will translate into at least a B-, 55% will translate into at least a C-, etc.

Expectations: The UVM  classroom code of conduct and academic honesty policy  are in effect, as always. In particular, always be sure to give proper attribution for work or ideas that are not your own.

Special Needs: If you are eligible and need an accomodation, please inform me and provide appropriate documentation during the first two weeks of class so that this can be implemented.