MATH 315                                                                                                          Spring 2012

Theory of Numbers

 

 9:10 – 10:05 MWF

 

                      COHH 2121                 3 credit hours

 

Instructor:  Dr. Tom Richmond                 COHH 3106                   745-6219

     Tom.Richmond@wku.edu                                         http://www.wku.edu/~tom.richmond/

 

Office Hours:             MWF 8-8:55;  MWF 10:20-11:15;  TR 9:30-11:00

                                    and by appointment

 

Course Description: 

A study of the arithmetic of the integers, divisibility, prime numbers, factorization, diophantine equations, congruences, quadratic residues.

 

Prerequisite:  MATH 307.

 

Attendance Policy:  Registration in a course obligates the student to be regular and punctual in class attendance.  Four or more unexcused absences from class may result in an "F" as final course grade.  A student absent from class bears full responsibility for subject matter and announcements missed.

 

Testing and Grading:  Students are responsible for material presented in class and the material in the text.  There will be three in-class tests, each worth 100 points.  The comprehensive final exam, to be given at 8:00 a.m.  Tuesday, May 8, 2012, is worth 150 points. There will be up to 120 points of daily grades, consisting of homework, quizzes, or projects.  Grading will follow the 10-point scale.

 

Text: Elementary Number Theory, 2nd Ed.  Underwood Dudley, Dover Publications.  2008 reprint of the 1978 edition.

 

Course Outline:  We will cover material described in the first 16 sections of the text, with selected topics added as time permits.

 

You will be encouraged to use graphing calculators as an aid to (but not a substitute for) learning.   As with all WKU classes, student work may be checked using plagiarism detection software.

 

 

Last Date to Withdraw/Audit:  March 16.   The Department Head says he will grant no exceptions.

 

ÒIn compliance with university policy, students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services in DUC A-200 of the Student Success Center in Downing University Center.  Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services.Ó