MTHSC 410-1 Syllabus

Spring Semester 2004
Time: 11:15 - 12:05 ; M,W,F.
Location: E001 Martin.
Instructor: Kevin James
Office: O-21 Martin Hall
Phone:
  • (864) 656-6766 (office)
  • (864) 656-3434 (Dept)

    • Email: kevja@clemson.edu
    Web: http://www.ces.clemson.edu/~kevja/

    Office Hours

    These hours are subject to change. Check my webpagefor an up to date listing of office hours.

    Required Text

    The text for this course is ``Factorization and Primality Testing'' by David M. Bressoud

    Goals and Objectives.

    I will attempt to give students a concrete introduction to basic number theory while introducing them to important applications such as public key cryptography and factorization algorithms.

    Course Contents.

    The course will cover portions of chapters 1-9 and if time permits we will cover selected material from later chapters of the text.

    Time Requirements.

    Please be sure to devote at least six hours per week outside of class to this course. 

    Grading Policies

    The grading in this class will be as follows: All exams will be cumulative. Click here for a schedule of examination times.

    The following grading scale will be used:
     

    A+ 97-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 67-69 F 0-59
    A 93-96 B 83-86 C 73-76 D 63-66

    A- 90-92 B- 80-82 C- 70-72 D- 60-62

    However one should note that at the present time plus/minus grading is still in the experimental stages. The grade that will be assigned for each student will be stripped of the plus/minus; that is grades of A+,A,A- will all be reported as an A and similarly for the other letter grades. See Clemson University's official statement on plus/minus grading below for more information.

    All grading will be on the basis of your work shown and not on the answer alone.

    Clemson's Official Statement on the Trial Period for Plus/Minus Grading

    Clemson University is committed to all aspects of academic excellence, including the exploration of possible improvements to grading policies.  Accordingly, beginning
    with the 2002  2003 academic year, a trial period for the plus/minus grading system will be in effect for two years.  Although the trial will be ongoing, only non-plus/minus grades will be used to calculate GPRs.  There will be no effect on transcripts or grade reports, and the data will be used solely for research purposes.

    If at the end of the trial period the plus/minus system is implemented, its implementation will affect all current students at once; i.e., the change will be announced in the Undergraduate Announcements for the year in which it is to take effect.  This should ensure that a smooth transition is made. 

    For more information on this grading system, please see the Registrar’s web site atwww.registrar.clemson.edu.

    Make-up Policy.

    Absolutely NO late homework will be accepted and there will beNo make-ups for missed quizes or exams. In the event, that a student misses an exam due to a documented excused absence, that student's final exam score will be substituted for the missing exam score. Any student who misses an exam and cannot provide documentation indicating that the absence was excused will recieve a 0 for the exam. 

    Attendance Policy.

    You are expected to be regular and punctual in your class attendance. You are expected to be in your seat at the beginning of the period and to remain through the period until dismissed.

    If the instructor is late, the class should begin a review of homework problems. After 25 minutes, the class may leave. 

    Academic Integrity

    As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson's vision of this institution as a high seminary of learning. Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form.