Number Theory: MATH F321 - Fall 2016

Announcements

  • Final Exam Rules: You may have a basic calculator and two 3x5 inch handwritten note cards. Office hours week of December 12-16 are by appointment. I will provide a copy of Hensel's Lemma on the exam.
  • Reminder: Homework is due at the beginning of class on Thursdays except by prior arrangement.
  • Here are the group homework instructions. Be sure to review them.
  • Some comments on doing the homework based on the grading done on the first homework:
    • You should write in complete sentences.
    • Counterexamples should be specific, not generic, i.e., π+(-π) is a counterexample to the claim that the sum of two irrational numbers is always irrational. Using a generic irrational x∈ℝ\ℚ isn't good form.
    • You should proofread the template to avoid making mistakes.
    • You should ALWAYS justify your answer.
    • Please turn on doublespacing in LaTeX (i.e., have the line \doublespacing appear just below \begin{document}).
    • I frequently make use of standard proofreading marks when grading.
    • The inductive hypothesis is that "s(n) is true for SOME n", not "s(n) is true". The latter is dangerously close to what is called assuming the conclusion.
  • Tuesday and Thursday hours have moved to 11:15-12:15.
  • As discussed in class, class notes are available through BlackBoard in the Course Materials section. Let me know if there are any problems.
  • You should obtain a copy of the textbook.
  • Homework is due at the beginning of class on the assigned date.

Resources

The course syllabus.

Getting PARI/GP. Some good notes for getting familiar with PARI/GP. Also, a web interface for PARI/GP for when you need it.

Group Homework Formatting Instructions

  • All homework must be submitted using the homework template provided.
  • Group homework assignments are due to that week's coordinator on the Thursday at 7 PM. That week's coordinator needs to send the complete collected assignment to me no later than 7 PM on Friday.
  • You must include a complete problem statement with each exercise.
  • You must write in complete sentences, with appropriate grammar, etc..
  • Your language should be appropriately formal, e.g., the use of specialized symbols such as the inverted capital A in place of the words "for all" should generally be avoided. Look to your textbook for a model of when the use of such symbols or abbreviations is appropriate.

Failure to follow these instructions will result in deductions from your grade.

Interpreting Graded Problem Scores

On the individual homework, I want to give you some idea of how to interpret your performance on each graded exercise, separate from the collective score. These scores inform the score I assign to your individual homework, but don't dictate it. Generally, each graded problem will be assessed on a 5 point scale: 5=entirely or nearly correct, 4=nearly correct but solution is poorly presented or contains a notable error, 3=mostly correct but a significant mathematical error, 2=significant progress in the right direction but multiple errors, 1=a genuine attempt at the problem, 0=little or no real attempt at the problem.

Homework Assignments by Due Date

Be sure to follow the instructions for the formatting of written assignments. Assignments will be available to download below.

Corrections to assignments due dates will be written in red.