Textbook: Number Theory, George E. Andrews.
ISBN-13: 978-0-486-68252-5
ISBN-10: 0-486-68252-8
Class meets Tuesday and Thursday 9-10:15, in Krieger 304.
The truth is, that although linear algebra is a pre-requisite, the real issue is mathematical maturity, so if you know some linear algebra and are ready for a proof based course, that's okay.
Office hours are Tuesday, 11:45-12:45. However, the way they work is I get out of another class at 11:45 and will return to my office. I'll stay there until noon. If no one comes, I'll feel free to leave unless someone has emailed me and told me they are coming but won't be there in the first 15 minutes or have arranged during class to see me. If this doesn't work, you can always email me either with questions or to make an appointment to see me.
In addition, you should all know about the math department help room that is open nearly all day and most evenings during the week. It is in Krieger 213.
Your TA is Naruki Masuda, nmasuda2@jhu.edu, who staffs the help room Wednesdays 11am -- 1pm. He also has office hours Friday, 1:30--2:30.
Students in this course are assumed to be serious math majors and will be treated as such.
How the course works.
Ignoring the first Tuesday where nothing much gets done, Tuesdays are the day you hand in your homework. You also get to take a test at the start of class. It will probably consist of 2 problems, one that was on the homework, and one that is from the book (or somewhere else if I can't find anything suitable), but not assigned as homework. I'll probably give a short overview lecture of the material you are to read for Thursday. The rest of Tuesday you will be assigned to groups to work on problems from the book.
On Thursday, we start with a quiz to see if you have read the required material. We will do group work Thursday as well.
The reading assignments are posted below. You will be quizzed on the reading on Thursday. Thursday or before, I will post the homework, due on that reading the next Tuesday. The test that Tuesday will be on that material, as will the in-class group work.
First. 25% homework, 25% Thursday quizzes, 25% Tuesday tests, 25% in-class group work. This is the base line for grades.
Second. At the end of the semester I will run grades again after deleting the first 2 weeks, deleting the group work, and deleting both of those. This lets me not penalize someone who got a slow start learning to prove things or who gets randomly stuck with duds in group work for a whole semester.