Latest revision as of 07:39, 8 July 2013

Rhea Section for MA 598A Professor Weigel, Summer 2013

This will be the main course page for MA 598A - Algebra Qual Prep. I'll post all of the practice problems, mock exams, etc. here. I'll try to have the day's assignment posted by noon the day of each class session. Participants in the course are encouraged to edit this page, post questions about and solutions to the problems, and generally treat the page as a sandbox for discussing math and learning to use LaTeX.

Course Materials

• Assignment #1, 6.10.13
• Assignment #2, 6.12.13
• Assignment #3 will be distributed in class, 6.17.13. Attempts by students
  

Problem Set #5 was used as the basis for an epic competition between the Buccaneers and Ninjasharks.

• PS #5
  
• Buccaneer Superior Solutions
• NinjaSharks Solutions
  
  Update: The Buccaneers prevailed with a final score of 6.5/7, topping the Ninjasharks' score of 5/7.  My congratulations are extended to the victors. 

• PS #6
• Assignment #6 student solution attempts
  

Comments/Discussion

• Correction on Assignment #2, Problem #1: The problem is laughably false as written.  One striking implication of this "theorem" is that every group of odd order is abelian.  I was sorely tempted to edit the file and deny everything, but I've decided to leave it as is.  The correct statement (which makes Qi's proof in class correct) is:
  
  Let G be a group which has a unique element, call it x, of order 2.  Show that x lies in the center of G.
  
  
• As promised, the last problem in Assignment #1 has a trivial solution.  This does not lower the stakes, however; the first person to post a correct solution will not have to take the qual!^* 
• Announcement 07.08.13: we will continue to work on PS#6 today due to its difficulty level.  A new problem set will be distributed Thursday.

_{^*This is a lie.}

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