Papers on Abstract Algebra

 

Heakyung Lee, Winthrop University

 

Students taking Abstract Algebra are required to write and present three papers on ‘the history of algebra’, ‘a famous algebraist’, and ‘what is abstract algebra?’ during the semester.  Throughout their papers students learn to compare algebra in the classical age and modern algebra, learn what contribution the mathematician students choose to write about made to Mathematics, especially in Algebra, and learn what algebraic structure is.  

In this presentation, Students’ understanding on Abstract Algebra before and after the assignments will be discussed.

 

The first paper should include the origin of algebra, a brief history of algebra, and what algebra today is. Students choose a famous algebraist mentioned on their first paper, and write about his (her) work in algebra in detail on the second paper. On the third paper, students write about what abstract algebra is, give an example of a group or a ring other than examples or exercises from the textbook, and prove that the set is a group (or a ring).  Some of properties of the group (or the ring) may be stated and proved as an extra credit.