Class Diary for M307, Spring 2009, Jochen Denzler

Introduction to Abstract Mathematics (Hons)


Wed Jan 07: Instead of an introduction: solving some inequalities; let's see how many you get wrong despite honest attempt ;-)
Fri Jan 09: Discussion of how to get them right, and how to write it up intelligibly, and unambiguously.
Mon Jan 12: More discussion on inequalities; sample sol'n and hwk. Book up to 1.4
Wed Jan 14: Ifs, quantifiers, negations.
Fri Jan 16: Some exercises pg 8; Hwk: pg 8, #3 and 7def written; also prepare until 1.24
Mon Jan 19: MLK DAY
Wed Jan 21: A sample proof about set equality; material through 1.36. Hwk: prepare 9ab,10,11 from page 13 for presentation on the board. Solve these problems (not in the book) in writing by Fri
Fri Jan 23: Feedback on hwk from page 8. Presentation of hwk from page 13. Hwk: Read to end of Ch 1.
Mon Jan 26: Presentation of #10 from page 13. Problems 22. page 17, #23 and 24c in writing; 26 and 28 presentation. Resubmit the Jan 21 hwk by Wed also.
Wed Jan 28: Discussion of 26,28. Brief rmks re Venn diagrams. Hwk: Prepare 29,31,32
Fri Jan 30: Final problems of Chapter 1. A slightly differnt perspective on Venn diagrams. Hwk: Read sec 1 of chapter 2 till Mon. Also written homework due Mon.
Mon Feb 02: more on proving set equalities; in particular pblm 23 Hwk: redo parto it as ping-pong
Wed Feb 04: cartesian products; relations: semantics vs syntax
Fri Feb 06: comments on interval hwk; Q&A re exam; discussion of early sectn 2
Mon Feb 09: EXAM 1
Wed Feb 11: (SL) pg24, 2ab. Equivalence relations. Modular examples. Hwk 2cd, 3a-c due Mon
Fri Feb 13: (SL) 4b-d presentation. Equivalence classes and partitions.
Mon Feb 16: Example: Constructing fractions as equivalence classes of pairs of natural numbers. Hwk 5abe, 9,10 due Fri
Wed Feb 18: Exam back, and comments. Outline about construction of arithmetic with fractions. Functions defined.
Fri Feb 20: Functions; image, and inverse image.
Mon Feb 23: Comments on returned hwk. Theorems and counterexamples about images and inverse images. Hwk: p33f, #1a-d,2,4ab,6b
Wed Feb 25: Comments on hwk p 28 #9. Inverse functions started.
Fri Feb 27: Inverse functions; one-to-one and onto.
Mon Mar 02: Hwk discussions.
Wed Mar 04: Class presentation on (g o f)-1 = f-1 o g-1. Some hwk discussion.
Fri Mar 06: Induction. Hwk: p44: 1,2,3,5
Mon Mar 09: A formula for the Fibonacci numbers proved by induction. A brief sketch how to *prove* strong induction, assuming weak induction.
Wed Mar 11: existence of prime number decomposition proved by strong induction. Borderline cases that enter in the wording `a product of primes': empty product = 1.
Fri Mar 13: Hwk: p46, numbers 10,11 Induction and Inequalities; including Bernoulli's inequality (1+x)^n >= 1+nx if x > -1.
Mon Mar 16: SPRING BREAK
Wed Mar 18: SPRING BREAK
Fri Mar 20: SPRING BREAK
Mon Mar 23: pg 49f: Discussion #15,19. Hwk: pg 50 #16,28
Wed Mar 25: questions concerning induction with inequalities; Binomial thm begun.
Fri Mar 27: Sol'n p 50 #28 discussed. Binomial thm proved.
Mon Mar 30: EXAM 2
Wed Apr 01: Filed Axioms. Hwk: pg 60, numbers 1-3
Fri Apr 03: Consruction / definition of subtraction and dvision from the field axioms. Order axioms. Hwk: think how to prove 1>0 directly from the axioms. (Hint: use trichotomy property)
Mon Apr 06: powers inductively defined; som exercises on order axioms.
Wed Apr 08: power laws from axioms; absolute value. Hwk: pg 66, numbers 36,39
Fri Apr 10: GOOD FRIDAY
Mon Apr 13: some hwk discussion. Proof that there is no rational number whose square is 2.
Wed Apr 15:
Fri Apr 17:
Mon Apr 20: EXAM 3
Wed Apr 22:
Fri Apr 24:
MON APR 27: STUDY DAY
Mon May 04: FINAL EXAM 10:15-12:15 (scheduled by university policy)

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