Course Content

• The course will be a basic introduction to some fundamental algebraic structures such as groups, rings, fields, and the familiar vector spaces. We will look at basic examples of each, establish a few of the fundamental properties of each of these algebrac structures. We will also try to illustrate their importance by looking at applications that follow from their properties. Algebra has a very different feel from calculus and geometry. One starts with a list of allowable axioms that define the algebraic structures and all properties and results flow from these axioms. The material often comes off as abstract; be prepared to put in extra time if this is not your natural inclination. After working with these structues for a while, things become more familiar and natural.

                                                                                                                                                                Basic Course Information

Math 4281 is a 4 credit course. Here is the official blurb on the course as fomulated by the math department: MATH 4281 - Introduction to Modern Algebra 4.0 cr; Prereq-2283 or 3283 or # Equivalence relations, greatest common divisor, prime decomposition,modular arithmetic, groups, rings, fields, Chinese remainder theorem,matrices over commutative rings, polynomials over fields.
Lecture:   01:25 P.M. - 02:15 P.M. , M,W,F (09/02/2014 - 12/10/2014) , VinH 6 , TCEASTBANK
Instructor: Professor S.Sperber.
Email: sperber@math.umn.edu
Office: 457 Vincent Hall
Phone: 612-625-4374
Office Hours: Tuesday 2:00-3:00pm, Thurs 12:10-1:10pm
Textbook: Modern Algebra: An Introduction, by John R. Durbin (Author), 6th edition
Publ: John Wiley, ISBN-13: 978-0470384435 ISBN-10: 0470384433

                                                                                                                                 Organization of Course and Grading Policy

Course Information