Math4302 Modern Algebra
Prerequisites: Math 429 or permission of instructor
Textbook: First course in abstract algebra, 8th edition by Fraleigh and Brand
Office hour: Monday 10-11:20 or by appointment
Exams: There will be two in-class midterm exams during the semester. There will also be a final exam. The first midterm exam is scheduled for Wednesday February 18th, and the second midterm exam is scheduled for Wednesday April 1st. If you are unable to take one of the midterm exams for legitimate reasons, you will not be given a make up exam.
Grading Information: The midterm exams will each count for 21 percent of your course grade. The final exam will count for 32 percent, and your homework grade will count for 26 percent of your course grade.
Your letter grade will be based on the following scale:
| A+ | A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | [90,100) | [85,90) | [80,85) | [75,80) | [70,75) | [65,70) | [60,65) | [55,60) | [50,55) | [0,50) |
Homework
There will be weekly homework. The homework is due on Friday (starting from January 23 ) via Gradescope. The Homework questions will be chosen from the textbook.
Late homework will not be accepted.
You are encouraged to discuss the problems with other students, but the write-up must be your own. Adherence to the university’s academic integrity policy Links to an external site.is expected and required.
I expect there will be 11 problem sets. The lowest homework grade will be dropped and the remaining 10 will be counted towards your final course grade. Any regrade requests must be made within a week of the assignment being returned.
Class Discussion Piazza: We will use Piazza for class discussion. You can find our page at https://piazza.com/wustl/spring2026/math4302Links to an external site.
Academic Integrity: Students must comply with Washington University regulations regarding academic integrity. For more information, see: https://wustl.edu/about/compliance-policies/academic- policies/undergraduate-student-academic-integrity-policy/. Plagiarism is a form of cheating or fraud; it occurs when a student misrepresents the work of another as their own.