Math 5800 - Number Theory

Section 100, Control number 45840
Fall Semester 2008
Department of Mathematics
Western Michigan University

Updated September 3, 2008.

Time and location:  Class meets 12:30 - 1:45 p.m., TR, in 3393 Rood Hall.  Final exam is Monday, Dec. 8, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Instructor:  Jay A. Wood, 6617 Everett Tower, 387-4812, email: jay(dot)wood(at)wmich(dot)edu .

Office hours:  2 - 3 p.m., TR, or by appointment.

Course description (from the undergraduate catalog):   Diophantine equations, congruences, quadratic residues, and properties of number-theoretic functions.

Prerequisites & Corequisites: Prerequisite: MATH 3300.

Credits: 3 hours

Textbook:  Harold M. Stark, An Introduction to Number Theory, MIT Press, 1987. 

Homework:  Here is the list of homework assignments for the semester.  Due dates will be announced in class (usually two class days after being covered in class). 

Grades:  Course grades will be determined by an accumulation of points from homework (up to 200 pts), written assignments (up to 100 pts),  one in-class exam (up to 100 pts), and a final exam (up to 200 pts).  That is a total of 600 possible points.  I will be at least as generous as follows:  A-at least 540; BA-at least 510; B-at least 480; CB- at least 450; C-at least 420; DC-at least 390; D-at least 360.  Students enrolled for graduate credit will be expected to do more sophisticated work.

Exam dates:  Midterm exam is Thursday, Oct. 16, in class.  Final exam is Monday, Dec. 8, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Collaboration:  You may work together on homework and written assigments, but not quizzes or exams.  If you do work together, or if you receive assistance from someone else, please say so on your paper (e.g., "I worked with Andrew Wiles on problems 5 and 7, and with Barry Mazur on problems 10 and 15.").  Each person is responsible for writing up his/her own version of the solution.

Accommodation for Disabilities:  Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact Ms. Beth Denhartigh at 387-2116 or at beth.denhartigh@wmich.edu at the beginning of the semester. A disability determination must be made by this office before any accommodations are provided by the instructor.

Student Conduct and Academic Honesty:
You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the academic policies and procedures
in the Undergraduate or Graduate Catalogs (found online, http://catalog.wmich.edu ) and from the Office of Student Conduct (at http://www.osc.wmich.edu/ ) that pertain to student rights and responsibilities. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity, and computer misuse. If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with me if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.