Math 30710: Algebra
Fall, 2020

Email: migliore.1@nd.edu

Office hours:
Office hours will be conducted remotely, via zoom (in the same zoom room as the lectures). They will be held on Thursdays, 1:00-2:00 or by appointment.

Time and place of class: MWF 10:25-11:15 in DBRT 126.

Textbook: A first course in abstract algebra (7th edition) by John B. Fraleigh.

Important Links.

• This is the zoom classroom where the lectures will be given live. Office hours will also be held here.

• CLICK HERE FOR THE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS. This will be updated after every class.

• Here are the lecture notes for the fall 2020 semester (pdf format). After every class I'll post that day's lecture.

• Here are the videos of the lectures for the fall 2020 semester. After every class I'll post that day's lecture.

Considerations in view of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The following are some points to keep in mind (mildly edited from the university guidelines):

(1) Health and Safety Protocols

In this class, as elsewhere on campus, students must comply with all University health and safety protocols, including:

• Face masks that completely cover the nose and mouth will be worn by all students and instructors. This includes in the classroom and the process of entering and exiting the building and classroom.

• Physical distancing will be maintained in all instructional spaces.

• Students will sit in assigned seats throughout the semester, which will be documented by faculty for purposes of any needed contact tracing. THIS MAY BE MODIFIED BEFORE THE START OF THE SEMESTER.

• Protocols for staged entry to and exit from classrooms and instructional spaces will be followed. Please wait until you are instructed to enter or leave the room. The university has changed the standard times of MWF classes, so there is plenty of time to arrive from your previous class and time to get to your next class.

(2) Health checks and attendance

Every morning, members of the Notre Dame Community will be asked to complete a daily health check and submit their information via the Return to Campus Advisor application. The health check application will indicate one of the following:

• Student is cleared for class and should attend class in person; or

• Student is advised to stay home to monitor symptoms and should participate in class virtually and complete all assignments and assessments; or

• Student must consult a healthcare provider and should contact University Health Services (UHS) for an assessment. In the meantime, the student should participate in class virtually and complete all assignments and assessments. Depending on the medical assessment, UHS will follow the the University’s standard protocol for obtaining an excused absence for medical reasons.

(3) The hybrid model

Fom day one we will be in the hybrid format (see below) so if you are told not to come to class for health reasons, you can be sure that the zoom room will be operating. But remember that the reason we are hybrid and not entirely online is that part of the class dynamic is lost if you are not there in person.

• This course will be run on a hybrid model. Unless conditions force a change, the instructor will teach every class in person.

• Students are encouraged to attend class in person, subject to university rules and guidelines, the students' level of comfort, and health considerations. Attending in person will make it easier to ask questions of the instructor, and will create a more normal class environment.

  Students who do not attend in person will be able to watch the lecture live via zoom, and will also have access to the notes (pdf) and to a video of the lecture. A recurring zoom room has been established. The link for this class is given above.

• Rather than using the blackboard for the lecture, the instructor will write (live) on an iPad which will be projected on a screen in the classroom and also carried live in the zoom room. Students attending virtually will be encouraged to ask questions remotely. We will discuss procedures in the first meeting of the class. After each class, all students will have access to the notes (pdf) and to a video of the lecture, available on the instructor's webpage.

• We request that students who are physically in the classroom not log into the zoom class during class time, in order to avoid putting pressure on the wifi system. The pdf notes and video of the lecture will be available on your section's webpage.

• Office hours will be held in the zoom classroom (the same link as for the lectures).

• If conditions force the university to close down in-person classes, this structure will allow us to continue with very little disruption.

If conditions force the university to close down in-person classes, this structure will allow us to continue with very little disruption.

Course content.

• Groups and subgroups (Chapter 1)
• Permutations, cosets and direct products (Chapter 2)
• Homomorphisms and factor groups (Chapter 3)
• Rings and Fields (Chapter 4)
• Ideals and Factor Rings (Chapter 5)
• Extension Fields (Chapter 6)

• Homework: There will be regularly assigned homework, collected weekly on Fridays. It will be worth a total of 100 points. Click HERE for the homework assignments (this is the same as the link given at the top of this page). This will be updated after every class.
  
  
• Two in-class midterm exams: These will be worth 100 points each. They will take place on
  
  • Friday, September 18, 2020 , and
  • Friday, October 23, 2020.
  
  
• Final exam: This will be worth 150 points, and will take place on TBA.

• Here is the first practice exam for Exam 1.
• Here are the solutions to first Practice Exam 1.
• Here is the second practice exam for Exam 1.
• Here are the solutions to the second practice Exam 1.
• Here is the real Exam 1.
• Here are the solutions to the real Exam 1.

• Here is the practice exam for Exam 2. (Only one this time.)
• Here are the solutions to the Practice Exam 2.
• Here is the real Exam 2.
• Here are the solutions to the real Exam 2.

• Here is the first practice exam for the final. (Only one this time.)
• Here are the solutions to the first practice exam for the final.
• Here is the second practice exam for the final.
• Here are the solutions to the second practice exam for the final.

Homework and Reading: The homework problems will be assigned on a lecture-to-lecture basis, and will be collected weekly on TBA. You should attempt the problems the day that they are assigned, so as to be able to ask me in class about any difficulties you encounter. (I generally won't do a homework problem for you in class, but may discuss a similar problem.) Similarly, there will be regularly assigned reading for most class periods, and you should come to class prepared to ask questions about any of it you did not understand. I encourage you to collaborate with each other on homework problems and in understanding the required reading. In fact, for each assignment, you may join forces with one or two other students to turn in a single, jointly written set of solutions, provided all group members have made a significant effort to contribute to the homework solutions. See below about copying homework, though.

Honor Code: Notre Dame students are expected to abide by Academic Code of Honor Pledge: "As a member of the Notre Dame community, I will not participate in or tolerate academic dishonesty." Both the homework and the exams are conducted under the honor code. Examinations are closed book and are to be done completely by yourself with no assistance from others. Although collaboration on homework is permitted (and encouraged), directly copying the work of other students, or simply adding your name to work done by another student or group and claiming it is jointly-done homework, would constitute a violation of the honor code. (Allowing anyone else to add their name undeservedly to your assignment is just as serious an offense.) Similarly, if you have access to any solutions to the homework problems that were written by someone else, a direct copying of such solutions is a violation of the honor code. However, you are allowed to consult such a source if you get stuck, since I would rather that you get help than that you give up entirely; but direct copying from such a source is again an honor code violation.

Support for Student Mental Health at Notre Dame: Care and Wellness Consultants provide support and resources to students who are experiencing stressful or difficult situations that may be interfering with academic progress. Through Care and Wellness Consultants, students can be referred to The University Counseling Center (for cost-free and confidential psychological and psychiatric services from licensed professionals), University Health Services (which provides primary care, psychiatric services, case management, and a pharmacy), and The McDonald Center for Student Well Being (for problems with sleep, stress, and substance use). Visit the Care and Wellness webpage.