Introduction to Topology, Spring 2008

MTH 525 TR 3:30 Tyler 106

Instructor:      Professor John Montgomery

                        Office:  224 Tyler Hall 

Office Hours:  TR 2:30, and by arrangement

e-mail:  jmont@uri.edu

Telephone:  874-4448

Text:  Introduction to Topology (Second Edition) by Gamelin and Green (Dover) . Also some supplementary material.

Testing:  The ideas in basic topology are very important in themselves, and they are also well-suited as a medium in which to develop your ability to communicate mathematical ideas and proofs not only correctly, but clearly, and concisely as well.  The grading scheme for the course reflects this.

We will have mid-term and final exams, each worth 20% of your grade.  Each Tuesday we will have a small quiz on the definitions and theorems of the previous week, and these will be 10% of your grade.  The remaining 50% of your grade will be based on homework problems.  If you should ever submit a solution to a homework problem that isn’t substantially correct and well-written, I will return it to you with comments and you can try again. I expect, and in fact, hope, that you will consult with each other about the homework sets.  However, don’t copy solutions; instead, work together and/or talk about how to do the problems, and make sure you understand anything that you hand in.