MAT 360 – Lecture 0
Introduction
About me
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Moira Chas
E-mail : moira@math.sunysb.edu
Work phone : 631-632-8266
Office Location: 4-103, Math Tower
Best way to contact me: by email (write
MAT360 on subject)
Personal webpage:
http://www.math.sunysb.edu/~moira
Course Homepage and Lecture slides
http://www.math.sunysb.edu/~moira/mat360.sp07/
Announcements, syllabus, exam grades, lecture
slides, etc.
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There will be a link in Blackboard.
Lecture slides can be found at
http://www.math.sunysb.edu/~moira/mat360.sp07/s
lides/
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How to save and print lecture slides
FALL 2007 office hours:
TU: 1 to 3 PM,
TH: 10:00 to 11:00am
and by appointment.
Office hours: can be
by appointment.
Course Description
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MAT 360 (Geometric Structures) -develops and contrasts Euclidean
geometry with more exotic geometries,
emphasizing topics relevant to the high
school curriculum. Involves some
computer workshops using software
available in high schools. An accessible
class.
Textbook
Euclidean and NonEuclidean Geometries,
Development and
History, Third Edition,
by Marvin Jay
Greenberg,
(W.H.Freeman and
Company, New York)
Prerequisites
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It is assumed that you have already had a highschool course in Euclidean geometry (more
precisely, know the geometry covered in MAT200
( you can find the notes of MAT 200 at
http://www.math.sunysb.edu/~scott/mat200.fall02
/Geometry/Main/) (there is a link to this page in
the course webpage)
Observations
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These slides are intended as a guide, and will
not contain all the material presented in class.
You should make AT LEAST all the problems
listed on the syllabus.
You should read the book. Even better, if you
do it before the topic is covered in class.
More observations
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It will be much harder to make up the grades
at the end as opposed to work on them since
the beginning.
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Any problem you have with the course (such
as serious impossibility to take an exam, not
understanding of all or part of the material,
etc) should be talked AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.
The probability of finding solutions
to any of the above problems is
inversely proportional to the period
of time which goes from the problem
presented to the instructor to the end
of the semester.
Grading policies
What
Midterm
When
October
% of grade
20%
Final
Tu, Dec. 18,
11:00am-1:30pm
40%
Homework,
Class
participation
Projects
Weekly
30%
10%
Grading homework
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We will grade selected problems.
Graded problems will worth up to 10 points.
Non graded submitted problems will worth 1
point.
No late homework will be accepted unless
exceptional circumstances.
Grading homework
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Homework shoud be submitted : Tuesdays
Homework 0 due Sept 12th (by email). Check
the schedule for precise instructions. Make
sure to write MAT360 on the subject.
Homework 1 due on Sept 18th.
Academic dishonesty
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You can discuss homework and project with
classmates.
All submitted work MUST be individual (this
means you and only you are responsible for
the written-up).
Identical submissions will receive no credit
and may be reported to the Academic
Judiciary Office.
Make ups
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There will be no make ups for exams unless
SERIOUS documented reasons.
No late homework will be accepted.
Homework
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Homework problems and projects should be written
in complete, clear and correct English
sentences. They should be easy to read by
somebody who has a good mathematical background
but is not following this course. All textbook results
must be explicitly quoted.
Each homework problem (regardless its length or
level of difficulty) will worth ten points.
Homework grading
Homework:
Points
Removed
with a few minor mistakes, omissions or misleading material
1 or 2
many minor mistakes, omissions or misleading material
3 or 4
with serious mistakes
5, 6 or 7
with minor problems with terminology, concepts or clarity of
exposition
1 or 2
with major problems with terminology, concepts or clarity of
exposition
3
which is not readable
10
Very important:
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Work on the homework problems.
Ask questions in class (or outside)
Maintain a fluid communication
about course related issues.