Math 456: Modern Algebra, Fall 2007

 
     

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Date

Homework & Suggested Problems

8/29 Ch 0: 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 19, 20, 22, 41, 43, 45, 48, 52

I realized that to me, Number Theory, Geometry, and the Theory of Algebraic Solutions were only shadows cast in different directions by some central solid essence.  I tried to reconstruct that central object and came up with Abstract Algebra.

8/31 All good, but here are the great ones: Ch 2: 7, 8, 9, 11, 17, 23, 29, 33, 35, 37 (11 & 35 require some Linear Algebra background)

I realized that to me, the symmetries of the equilateral triangle, the hexaflexagon, and the propeller were only shadows cast in different directions by some central solid essence.  I tried to reconstruct that central object and came up with the concept of a group.

9/5 Ch 1: All great problems, but esp. 5, 6, 8, 17, 19, 22

Using 3 colors, how many non-isomorphic Cayley tables can you color in?

Try to find ALL the subgroups of D_3

Read Ch. 3

I realized that to me, the symmetries of the propeller, the equivalence classes mod 4, and the color wheel group were only shadows cast in different directions by some central solid essence.  I tried to reconstruct that central object and came up with the concept of group isomorphism.

9/7 Start looking at problems Ch 3: 4, 13, 14, 21, 22, 29, 32, 35, 36, 41, 42, 46, 50, 51, 53, 54

Read chapter 4

9/12 Ch 4 problems are all so great, I can't chose.  Maybe read through them all and pick the 20 hardest sounding problems

I realized that to me, all cyclic groups of order n were only shadows cast in different directions by some central solid essence.  I tried to reconstruct that central object and realized that all cyclic subgroups of order n are isomorphic to Z_n.

9/21 Ch 5: 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 23, 30, 31, 33, 35, 39, 41, 43, 45, 49, 50, 55

Read chapter 6

I realized that to me, all groups were only shadows cast in different directions by some central solid essence.  I tried to reconstruct that central object and realized that every group is isomorphic to a group of permutations.

9/24 Take-Home Problem Packet, Due Friday October 5th

pdf file, tex file

9/26 Ch. 6: 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 12, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24, 25-27, 30, 31, 33, 34, 37, 38, 43

Read chapter 7

"Cayley's Theorem tells us that abstract groups are not different from permutation groups.  Rather, it is the viewpoint that is different.  It is this difference of viewpoint that has stimulated the tremendous progress in group theory and many other branches of mathematics in the twentieth century." -Gallian, pg. 127

9/28 Ch. 7: 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 18, 20, 23, 27, 29, 20, 31, 32, 33, 36, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45

Read chapter 8

10/3 Ch. 8: 1, 2, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 43, 44, 47, 49, 53, 54, 55, 57, 59-63

Read chapter 9

I realized that to me, the finite Abelian groups were only shadows cast in different directions by some central solid essence.  I tried to reconstruct that central object and came up with direct products of cyclic groups of prime-power order.

10/5 Ch. 9: 1-5, 7-11, 15, 17, 19, 27, 31, 33, 38, 39, 41-43, 45, 48, 49-51, 55-58, 61-63, 66, 68, 69, 71

Outline (due Monday 10/8) .pdf, .tex

10/10 Read Chapter 10

The universe is an enormous direct product of representations of symmetry groups. - Steven Weinberg

10/12 Ch. 10/ 7, 9, 11, 15, 17, 19, 39, 43, 48 (LA of DEQ), 49, 54, 57

I realized that to me, the normal subgroups of a group G were only shadows cast in different directions by some central solid essence.  I tried to reconstruct that central object and came up with kernels of group homomorphisms.

10/17 Read Ch. 11 & Start Studying for the Midterm
10/22 Ch. 11/ 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12-15, 17, 19, 21, 25, 29, 35, 36

Write 2 problems for midterm with justification, Due: Wednesday, Oct. 24

Rewrites of Take Home Packet 1 Due: Friday, Nov. 2nd

I realized that to me, the finite Abelian groups were only shadows cast in different directions by some central solid essence.  I tried to reconstruct that central object and came up with direct products of cyclic groups of prime-power order.

10/26 Relax and Read Ch. 12
10/29 Ch. 12/ 2-4, 6, 7, 11, 17, 18, 19, 26, 27, 36, 37, 38, 41, 43, 50, 52

Read Ch. 13

I realized that to me, the integers, the integers mod n, n-by-n matrices with integer entries, continuous real-valued functions passing through the point (1,0), etc. were only shadows cast in different directions by some central solid essence.  I tried to reconstruct that central object and came up with the concept of a ring.

10/31 Take Home Mid-Term

Due Monday, Nov. 5th

10/31 Ch. 13/ 7, 8, 10, 20, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 34, 35, 41, 43, 46, 49, 50, 55, 60

I realized that to me, the integers mod p, the reals, the rationals, the complex numbers, etc. were only shadows cast in different directions by some central solid essence.  I tried to reconstruct that central object and came up with the concept of an field.

11/2 Read Ch. 14, Study for Group Exam
 11/7 Ch. 14/ 3, 6, 7, 9-13, 24, 26, 30, 33, 35, 37, 41, 47, 53, 55

Read Ch. 15 for 11/12

11/9 Take Home Packet 2, Due Wednesday 11/21
11/12 Ch. 15/  4, 10, 18, 26, 31, 33, 35, 38-40, 41(a), 43, 44, 48, 52, 53, 58, 60, 61

Read Ch. 16 for 11/19

11/19 Ch. 16/ 4, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 21, 22, 27, 29, 31, 32, 36-40, 42-44, 48

Read Ch. 17 for 11/26

11/26 Visualizations of D6 Due
12/3 Take-home Final Exam: .pdf, .tex

Due: Noon, Saturday 12/15