Math 309: Introduction to Number Theory
Spring 2018, Section 01, CRN 990
Schedule: MWF 10:00am-10:50pm
Location: Fitzelle Hall 131
Text:
Elementary Number Theory
, by James Strayer.
Professor:
Jonathan Brown
Office: Fitzelle Hall 260
Email: jonathan.brown@oneonta.edu
Phone: 436-3720
Office Hours:
Wednesday 1:00-1:50, Thursday 12:30-1:50, Friday 1:00-1:50 or by appointment.
Course website: http://employees.oneonta.edu/brownjs/
Catalog Description:
Primes, congruences, quadratic reciprocity, Diophantine equations, number theoretic functions.
Prerequisites: MATH 224 and MATH 205 with a grade of C or better.
Course Content:
We will be covering Chapter 1 (Divisibility and Factorization), Chapter 2 (Congruences), Chapter 3 (Arithmetic functions),
Chapter 4 (Quadratic Residues), Chapter 5 (Primitive Roots), Chapter 6 (Diophantine Equations), and if time allows
Chapter 7 (Continued Fractions).
SUNY General Education Attributes: LA
Grades:
Participation: 5%
Homework: 21%
2 in class exams: 22% each
Final: 30%
Your letter grade will be determined from the following heuristic:
A : 93 - 100
A-: 90 - 92.99
B+: 87 - 89.99
B : 83 - 86.99
B-: 80 - 82.99
C+: 77 - 79.99
C :73 - 76.99
C-: 70 - 72.99
D+: 67 - 69.99
D : 63 - 66.99
D-: 60 - 62.99
E : 0 - 59.99
Participation:
Every week I will assign each student a participation score. This will be based on criteria such as how much a student participated in class discussions, how much they asked and answered questions,
or if they volunteered to present problems.
Homework:
Problem sets will be assigned periodically. These will be collected
and graded.
Homework from the text will be assigned regularly. This homework will
not be collected or graded, however
it is essential that you do these problems. Learning, development, and growth require time and sustained effort. Most of the knowledge and skills you obtain from this course will come from the time you spend with these problems. Furthermore the exam problems will sometimes closely resemble (or even be copied from) the problems from the text.
Tentative Exam Schedule:
Exam 1: 2/28
Exam 2: 4/23
Final Exam Schedule:
Wednesday May 9, 8:00am - 10:30pm.
Attendance Policy:
Missing class is a very bad idea. Anyone who misses more than
25% of classes starting in week 2 may be removed from the course.
Late Work:
Late work loses 10% for each day past the due date it is turned in.
Make-up Test Policy:
If you know ahead of time you will be absent for a test you may take the test early.
If you miss a test due to unexpected illness you may make up the test the first day you are back in class. If you do unexpectedly miss a test you need to inform me as soon as you are able.
The Final Exam can only be taken at the specified time.
Emergency Evacuation Procedures: In the event of an emergency evacuation,
classes meeting in this building are directed to reassemble in the IRC Lobby so that all persons can be accounted for.
Complete details of the College's emergency evacuation, shelter-in-place, and other emergency procedures can be found at
http://www.oneonta.edu/security/.
ADA (American with Disabilities Act):
Students Diagnosed with a Disability, all individuals who are
diagnosed with a disability are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. As such, you may be entitled to certain accommodations within this class. If you
are diagnosed with a disability, please make and appointment to meet with Accessibility Resources, 209
Alumni Hall, ext. 2137. All students with the necessary supporting documentation will be provided appropriate
accommodations as determined by the Accessibility Resources Office.
Getting Help
You are expected to spend anywhere between 6 and 12 hours per week
outside of class on the material.
The amount of time necessary to pass, or obtain the grade you expect,
depends heavily from person to person.
Typically, a student spending less than 6 hours per week outside the class
should expect to earn a "C" or worse.
If you are struggling with the material, be aware that you have options:
(1) Struggle a bit. Part of the learning process is the internal struggle
of trying to understand how all of the pieces fit together. It can
be frustrating, but it can also be rewarding. If you make progress,
however slow, then it is time well spent.
If you feel that your time is not productive, then you should talk to me,
or other students, about how you can make better use of your study time.
(2)
Visit my office hours. It is part of my job to be available to help
you understand the material. There is not enough time in the classroom to get
everything across, and you are not expected to do it all on your own.
(3) Find alternate instructional material online. Different people have
different styles, and while you might have found my way of discussing something
to be confusing, there may be someone else out there who can discuss it in
a away that makes sense to you. There are a number of free text books,
lessons, and video lectures available online. Feel free to ask me about other sources.
(4) Talk to your fellow students who are taking or who have taken the class.
Learning is a social activity; you are not expected to do it all on your own.
(5) If after availing yourself of the above options, you still find that you are struggling regularly to understand the material, find a regular tutor.
If you are in this situation, you will likely have to spend significant extra
time on the material to ensure a passing grade.