Introduction to Abstract Algebra (Math 113), Fall 2024

Section 5

1 Practical information
Lectures: Mo, We, Fr 02:00PM - 02:59PM, Etcheverry 3113.
Instructor: Aleksandra Utiralova, utiralova.a@[Link].
Office hours: Mo, Fr 12:30PM - 1:30PM, Tu 11:30AM - 12:30PM 943 Evans Hall.
GSI: Pranav Trivrdi, pranavtrivedi@[Link]
GSI office hours: We, Th 11AM-4PM 1044 Evans Hall
Textbook: Abstract Algebra, by David S. Dummit, Richard M. Foote, the third edition.
Online resources: I will be using bCourses as the primary course website. The lectures are recorded and
you can find the recordings in the Media Gallery tab on bCourses. You can also find my Lecture notes in
the files folder. Homework is posted on and must be submitted to Gradescope.

2 Overview
Topics: Sets and relations. The integers, congruences, and the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic. Groups
and their quotient groups. Commutative rings, ideals, and quotient fields. The theory of polynomials:
Euclidean algorithm and unique factorizations. The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra. Fields and field
extensions.

3 Assessment
3.1 Exams
There will be two midterm exams during the usual class hours on Friday, Oct 18 and Friday, Nov 22. The
final exam is scheduled for Thursday, Dec 19 03:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Exam Location TBD. You are allowed one
two-sided sheet of hand-written notes for each exam, but you are not allowed to consult any other materials.
If your final exam score is higher than either or both of your midterms, your midterm score(s) will be replaced
by the final exam score.

3.2 Homework
Homework is assigned every week on Fridays and is due next Friday at 11:59 PM. Assignments are posted on
Gradescope. You should submit the completed homework electronically on Gradescope. It’s best if you type
your work in TEX or write it on an electronic tablet, but scans of hand-written homework are acceptable as
well. If you don’t have access to a scanner, feel free to use a cell phone or any other camera. Just make sure
that there’s enough light and that the text is clearly visible.
If you believe you have special circumstances to get an extension for the assignment you may ask me
for an extension two days before the deadline (or as soon as possible if it’s a medical emergency or another
unpredictable situation). All other late assignments will not be accepted. However, your two lowest
homework scores will be dropped.

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4 Grading
• 30% Homework
• 20% First Midterm
• 20% Second Midterm

• 30% Final Exam

5 Academic Integrity
Cheating includes (but is not limited to) sharing information during a test, handing in someone else’s work
as your own, copying coursework problems off the internet or from your peers and permitting someone to
copy your work.
What is not considered cheating is discussing weekly problems with other students. Some problems may be
hard and teamwork should help to solve them. It is totally fine to find the solution with the help of another
student. What you should do after is to write up your solution by yourself and in your own words
without looking at the source. Please cite all the sources you consult, apart from lectures and the
textbook, and list your collaborators as well.

6 Special Accommodations
Let me know if you need special accommodations approved by the Disabled Students Program.

7 Tentative schedule
Below is the tentative schedule for the class. It is subject to change at any point.

Date Topic Lecture notes

We Aug 28 Set Theory 2.1

Fr Aug 30 Equivalence relations 2.2

Mo Sep 2 Holiday

We Sep 4 Integers, Euclidean algorithm 2.3, 2.4

Fr Sep 6 Integers modulo n 2.5

Mo Sep 9 Group definition, examples 3.1

We Sep 11 Symmetric group, Cycle decomposition 3.2, 3.3

Fr Sep 13 Dihedral groups 3.4

Mo Sep 16 Group presentations 3.5

We Sep 18 Group homomorphisms, Subgroups 3.6, 4.1

Fr Sep 20 Normalizers, centralizers and the center 4.2

Mo Sep 23 Cyclic groups 4.3

We Sep 25 Group actions 5.1

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Fr Sep 27 Orbits, stabilizers 5.2

Mo Sep 30 Groups acting on themselves by multiplica- 5.3

We Oct 2 Groups acting on themselves by conjugation 5.4

Fr Oct 4 Conjugacy classes in Sn 5.5

Mo Oct 7 Right actions 5.6

We Oct 9 Quotients by subgroup actions 6.1

Fr Oct 11 Isomorphism theorem 6.2

Mo Oct 14 Sign map for Sn 6.3

We Oct 16 Review session

Fr Oct 18 Midterm 1

Mo Oct 21 Recognizing direct product 7.1

We Oct 23 Semidirect product 7.2

Fr Oct 25 More on semidirect products 7.2

Mo Oct 28 Classification of finitely generated abelian 7.3

We Oct 30 Rings 8.1

Fr Nov 1 Constructing new rings from existing ones 8.2

Mo Nov 4 Constructing more rings 8.2

We Nov 7 Ring homomorphisms and quotient rings 8.3

Fr Nov 9 2 Properties of ideals 8.4

Mo Nov 11 Holiday

We Nov 13 The Chinese remainder theorem 8.5

Fr Nov 15 Fields of fractions 8.6

Mo Nov 18 Euclidean domains, Polynomial division 8.7

We Nov 20 Review session

Fr Nov 22 Midterm 2

Mo Nov 25 Principal ideal domains 8.8

We Nov 27 Holiday

Fr Nov 29 Holiday

Mo Dec 2 More on Principal ideal domains 8.8

We Dec 4 Unique factorization domains 8.8

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Fr Dec 6 Course overview, field extensions, preview of 9.1, 9.2
Galois theory

Mo Dec 9 Review Session

We Dec 11 Review Session

Fr Dec 13 Review Session

Thu Dec 19 Final Exam (3:00PM - 6:00PM)