Math 335
Foundations of Geometry
Spring 2007
Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Edward C. Wallace Classroom : South 336
MWF
Office: South Hall 323B Office
Hours[1]: MWF
TTh :
Additional
hours available by appointment
Phone
: (245) 5485 email : wallace@geneseo.edu
Textbook: Roads
to Geometry 3nd
ed., by Edward C. Wallace and Stephen F.
West,
Prentice Hall Pub. Co, 2004.
Tentative Schedule
Chapters and Topics
Unit I -Chapters
1 and 2 : Axiomatic Systems and Axiom Sets;
Topics - Axiomatic systems and
their properties; finite and incidence geometries; axiom sets for Euclidean
geometries; an introduction to non-Euclidean geometries.
Exam date: Monday February 12
Unit II -Chapter 3: Neutral Geometry;
Topics - The SMSG postulate
set and consequences of it that do not rely on a parallel postulate; the
Saccheri-Legendre Theorem; parallel postulate equivalencies; a search for rectangles..
Exam Date: Friday
March 9
Unit III -Chapters 4: Euclidean Results;
Topics- The
Euclidean parallel postulate; congruence; similarity; Euclidean circles and
triangles;
Exam Date: Monday
April 9
Unit IV -Chapter 6: Hyperbolic Geometry;
Topics - The hyperbolic
parallel postulate; hyperbolic polygons; the consistency of hyperbolic
geometry; classifying theorems.
Included on final
exam – Thursday May 3
Grading - Your grade in Math
335 will be based on three components: 1. Your exam average - three in-class exams worth 100 pt. and a
200 point comprehensive final exam (60%); 2.
your quiz average (quizzes will be given weekly
beginning on Tues. January 20) - 20%, 3. your
assignment average - 20%. Each of these
averages will be computed by dividing the number of points scored by the number
of points that were possible in that category.
A composite numerical average will be computed using the weights
indicated above, and converted to a letter grade according to the scale shown below:
9 |
8 | 7
| 6
|
987654 | 3210 | 98 |
76543 |210 | 98 | 76543 | 210| 98765 |
Below 65
A
A- | B+ B
B- | C+ C
C- | D
|
E
Attendance: Your attendance in class is important and expected. During the semester we must cover a
considerable amount of material each day.
Students should not expect to make up work during office hours for
absences that are not excused. Also, assignments
will be collected at
the beginning of the class period on the
date they are due and will not be accepted late (if you have an excused
absence, be sure to have a classmate submit the work for you). Likewise, exams/quizzes missed due to
unexcused absence cannot be made up and will receive a grade of zero.
Communication/Writing Skills : Math 335 is a "proof based"
course. The majority of you grade will
be determined by how well you can express your thoughts in a logically sound
and coherent fashion. You will be graded
on how well you communicate your thoughts
as well as on the thoughts themselves.
Good reasoning is of limited value if it can not be shared with
others. When you submit proofs be sure that they communicate your thoughts coherently and legibly. If I cannot decipher your writing (or if I
begin to get a headache) I will assume the work is incorrect.
Proofs in Math 335 will be given in
"paragraph form", not in the 2-column form you may have learned in
high school. Some students have trouble
communicating their proofs in paragraph form. If you find yourself struggling with this
format, please seek help during office hours or at other times by
appointment. An ability to write
mathematical ideas clearly is an important goal of this class. Keep this in mind when doing homework
problems so that the skills needed to do this are in place by the time the exam
arrives.
