Math 361, Section 1: Set Theory
Fall 2006

Course Description

"Introduction to concepts and tools used in abstract mathematics. Emphasis on writing of proofs. Elementary logic and set theory, formal axiom systems, transfinite numbers, the real number system, and the foundations of mathematics." (Taken from the undergraduate catalog.)

Schedule

The schedule will have a list of topics, organized by week. The assigned homework will be added as the semester progresses.

Instructor

Name Office E-mail Phone Office Hours
Saul Schleimer HLL-207 saulsch at math dot rutgers dot edu 732-445-1935 MW 11:00am to 12noon

Class meetings

Attendance will not be taken.

Activity Run by Time Location
Lecture Saul Schleimer MW 1:40pm to 3:00pm BE-201 LIV

Paraphernalia

The suggested text for this course, by Herbert B. Enderton, is titled Elements of set theory. (Warning: the AddAll webpage takes some time to load.) I intend to follow notes by Professor Simon Thomas instead of following the book, however. Another reference which you may find useful is Paul Halmos' book Naive set theory.

As one has come to expect, various on-line resources on every subject, and hence on set theory, are available. These range all the way from pages at Wikipedia to heady discussions of the future.

Please remember, however, that any material that you copy or paraphrase from a book, the web, a classmate, a professor, etc should be correctly cited. If you are unsure how to do this correctly please ask me in person or via email. For a relevant discussion of what constitutes plagiarism please consult the Rutgers Academic Integrity Policy.

Homework

See the schedule for the weekly list of homework problems. These are due at the beginning of the lecture one week after they are assigned. Your two lowest homework scores will be dropped. Late work will not be accepted. Please staple.

Exams

Exams are closed book. No calculators are allowed. You may, however, bring a single (two-sided) sheet of paper with whatever material on it that you desire. You may also use a ruler. For any problem on the exam which is left completely blank (except for possibly the phrase "I don't know.") you will receive 25% of the available points.

There will be two midterms and a final. See the schedule for dates. At least one-third of the problems on each midterm will be taken from the homework.

Grades

The final score is composed of 20% for homework, 20% for each midterm, and 40% for the final. Grades will be assigned on a curve, modified by common sense: if every student does well every student will receive a good grade.

Mistakes

Please tell me in person, or via email, about any errors on this website or made (by me!) in class.