Syllabus

Topology - Mathematics 460 - Fall 2005

Class Meetings: MWF 9:30-10:25, Fowler 310.

Text: There is no required textbook. I will hand out class notes, as well as post them on our class website. I will also occasionally assign homework problems from the book by V. Prasolov, Intuitive Topology.  This is a good book, and I encourage you to purchase it, but you don't have to; I will give handouts containing the assigned problems. If you do end up buying the book, make sure to resist the temptation to look at the solutions before turning in homework (I'll just trust you on this). I also recommend James R. Munkres, Topology, which is a classic and excellent textbook on topology.

Homework: HW will be assigned in every class meeting, due the next class meeting. We will work together on some of the HW problems in class; but, because we won't have time to cover every problem in class, you are strongly encouraged to work with your classmates or get help from me or the CAE on problems you can't do. Doing HW is essential to learning mathematics—there is no way around it. You must take it seriously, and should expect to spend at least two to three hours every other day on it!

Midterms: There will be three exams, on the following dates (subject to change with prior notice): W 9/21, W 10/19, and W 11/16.

Final : The final exam will be on F 12/9/05, 8:30-11:30 AM. Please make sure you do not have any time conflicts with this date and time (or any early travel plans), as I do not give early or late finals!

Make-ups: No make-up exams will be given. If you miss a midterm with a valid excuse (e.g., a medical reason), and provide documentation for it, that midterm will simply not count for you—instead, your other midterms and final exam will count proportionally more. This policy does not apply to the final exam.

Grading: Your grade for the semester will be computed according to this table:

Homework 5% Midterms 60% Final 35%

Attendance: You are responsible for everything that goes on in every class meeting, such as announcements, handouts, taught topics that are not in the class notes, etc.  This means even if you miss a class for a valid reason, it is your responsibility to contact me and find out what you missed.

E-mail: When necessary, I will make announcements via the class mailing list, instead of in the classroom. You are expected to check your email at least once a day. You are encouraged to use our class email list, math460-L@oxy.edu, to send messages to everyone in the class.

Academic Honesty: I feel strongly about protecting honest and hard-working students against unfair and dishonest actions sometimes committed by a few. I don't give warnings; I refer all suspicious cases to the Judicial Examiner without hesitation.

Students with learning disability: Please see me and the CAE to arrange for any special needs.