Home Page - Math 13 (44260)

Textbook  

• Math 13-An Introduction to Abstract Mathematics Links to an external site. by Neil Donaldson and Alessandra Pantano.  This is the main reference for our course.
• Book of Proof Links to an external site. by Richard Hammack.  This is another recommended reference, especially for a more basic look at the material.

Course Description  

In this course, we will look at the underlying structure of mathematics in order to prepare for upper-division mathematics. We will conjecture about mathematical structure and prove undeniably whether a statement is true or false. This requires us to understand just what a proof entails, and we must also develop a lot of language, skill, and strategy specific to writing proofs. Ultimately, our goal is to understand and create abstract math of our own, and to take ownership over these habits of proof-writing.

This material will contrast with the courses you have seen before, which focused mainly on calculation. Since writing proofs takes on such a different flavor than your prior work, expect a lot of instances of productive struggle in this class. 

 

How to Succeed 

To understand the material as best as possible, you need to apply your problem solving skills to all of the homework. It’s easy to skim problems and concepts, but it’s often harder to work them out step-by-step.

Try working out problems yourselves, but also collaborate with each other when you get stuck. Teaching others fosters understanding, even if you feel like you already get the problem. You’ll also be able to critique each other’s proofs, which is an important step for students preparing to do upper-division coursework.

You’re always welcome to ask me or Thu to help you with anything course-related. I’m usually available by appointment, just talk to me or email me to set up a time. In general, I’m here for you all and I want to make your lives easy. If you have questions or comments/concerns for me, please feel free to bring them to my attention anytime. Also, your feedback on my questions means a lot to me and helps me pace lecture, so feel free to add your thoughts to the conversation.

You’re always welcome to ask me or Jennifer to help you with anything course-related. I’m usually available by appointment, just talk to me or email me to set up a time. In general, I’m here for you all and I want to make your lives easy. If you have questions or comments/concerns for me, please feel free to bring them to my attention anytime. Also, your feedback on my questions means a lot to me and helps me pace lecture, so feel free to add your thoughts to the conversation.

Grade Breakdown 

Grades will be based on the following categories: Homework/In-class assignments:15% (lowest score dropped), Quizzes: 15% (lowest score dropped), Midterm 30%, Final 40%.

Grades will be based on the following scale:

	$0\longrightarrow3.499...$	$3.5\:\rightarrow\:6.499...$	$6.5\:\rightarrow\:9.99...$
90	A-	A	A+
80	B-	B	B+
70	C-	C	C+
60	D-	D	D+
50 and below	F	F	F

Please keep in mind that I cannot offer any extra credit or special treatment regarding your assignment scores and final class score. The best way to do well in this class is to understand each topic and seek help immediately if you are having difficulty.

Homework Problems

Homework will be assigned on the course website after each lecture and will be collected each Thursday, starting week 1. The particular sections due each Thursday will be highlighted on the course website. Late homework will not be accepted, except in emergency situations. Please contact me ahead of time with any issues you may have.

This course is meant to teach you how to do proofs, so please justify every step of your problem-solving process rigorously. I encourage you to work together on assignments in study groups, and to ask about exercises in discussion section, but everyone must turn in their own assignment. If you have questions on the assignment exercises or would like more clarification on the quality of your work, please come to my office hours.

Quiz and exam problems will be based on the problems in the recommended homework.

In-class Assignments

During discussions, you will be given a set of problems to work together on in groups. This group work is meant for you to practice your ability to relate proofs to other people, so taking this seriously will help you immensely! Each group's worksheets will be turned in at the end of each discussion for credit.

Quizzes 

There will be a total of 7-8 quizzes throughout the session, given in discussion on Thursdays (including week 1). The quizzes will be roughly 20 minutes long. Missed quizzes can only be made up in circumstances which fall under the Exam/Quiz Makeup Policy. Please refer to this section for more details.

Midterm/Final Information

There will be one midterm and one final this quarter. The midterm is 50 minutes long, takes place in lecture, and will be based on all of the sections before it in the schedule. The final for this course is 120 minutes long, takes place in our lecture room, and is cumulative. Here is the tentative exam schedule:

Midterm: Friday, October  26th, 9-10am     

Final: Wednesday, December 12th, 8-10am

Exam/Quiz Makeup Policy 

Requests for make-up exams will be considered under the following guidelines:

§  If the final exam time violates the students religious creed.

§  If the final exam time would result in loss of wages constituting financial hardship, need for child care resulting in financial hardship, inability to procure transportation or loss of employment.

§  If there is a verifiable emergency, which prevents the student from taking the final examination at the scheduled time (e.g., serious illness, death of immediate family member, or serious accident).

Quizzes are treated as exams with regards to this makeup policy.

 

Enrollment and Waitlist The UCI Math department has complete control over issues regarding enrollment in any of my courses. In particular, I do not have the ability to add you to my class from the waitlist or change which discussion you are enrolled in. Please take a look at http://www.math.uci.edu/undergrad-courses/course-registration-and-placement-information Links to an external site. for more information.

If you are on the waitlist in my course, it is required that you attend lectures and discussions, as well as take quizzes.

 

University and Course Conduct  

Everyone in the classroom is expected to behave in a respectful and honest manner, both personally and academically.

Regarding exams, any suspicious or dishonest-looking activity will be treated as academic dishonesty. This will result in a zero on your exam, and the situation will be reported to the university. I take academic honesty very seriously, and I expect everyone to take it seriously as well.

All students are expected to adhere to the UCI Academic Dishonesty Policies (for more information, please visit https://aisc.uci.edu/students/academic-integrity Links to an external site.). 

 

Changes to the Syllabus  

Please make note that this syllabus is subject to change throughout the quarter. I will make my best attempt to make it known if there will be any corrections or revisions.

 

"Where can I go if I don't understand the material?"

Office Hours 

I’ve mentioned this earlier on this page and I can’t stress this enough. My office hours are meant to help students with the course material and exercises, and I can address any other concerns you might have about the course. If my times listed above don't work for you, feel free to make an appointment with me.

 

Email and How to Properly Contact Me   

I encourage you to contact me through email whenever you have questions regarding exercises or any other concerns.

When asking for homework help, the more specific of a message you can send me, the better. In particular, try to articulate which parts of a problem you are trying to understand and your approaches so far, such as partial solutions, when applicable. If you can send me a picture of your partial solution, this is even better. Anything like this will allow me to be more specific in my response to you.

For course concerns, please note that I am teaching multiple classes and sections, so be sure to state the class name, lecture time and discussion time when appropriate.

As always, I try to accommodate and help you all as much as possible. Kind, professional responses from students are very helpful in maintaining this atmosphere.

 

Homework Questions:

Questions highlighted yellow denote problems to study for the midterm. Expect 5-6 problems on the midterm.

For the final, please take a look at problems highlighted in yellow and in orange. Expect 7-8 problems on the final.