MATH 302: Foundations of Geometry
Fall 2014
Instructor: Rebecca Goldin
Office and Hours: Exploratory Hall, Room 4214, T, Th 1:15-2:15pm and by appointment.
E-mail: rgoldin@gmu.edu
Phone is unreliable but you can try: 703-993-1480.
Book: Foundations of Geometry Second edition by Gerard Venema, Pearson, 2012.
Syllabus: The material we cover may change over the semester depending
on how much fun we are having. Roughly speaking, we will touch on:
• Chapter 1: Prologue: Euclid's Elements
• Chapter 2: Axiomatic Systems and Incidence Geometry
• Chapter 3: Axioms for Plane Geometry
• Chapter 4: Neutral Geometry
• Chapter 5: Euclidean Geometry
• Chapter 6: Hyperbolic Geometry
• Chapter 8: Circles
Plan to read the book before class. That will make our conversation far more productive!
This semester, I am taking the plunge and trying to put course materials on Blackboard. To access Blackboard, log in via http://mymason.gmu.edu and select the “Courses Tab.”
Web page: math.gmu.edu/~rgoldin/302
It is your responsibility to monitor the website frequently for
updates. I will post announcements, practice problems for class
(ungraded), homework (graded), solutions to homework, information on
tests, etc. You will always have at least two days to complete any
homework due. However, if I post homework on Sunday that is due on
Tuesday, you are responsible to know and complete it.
Practice Problems from the text: This is a list of problems from the
text that I will post on the web page for the course and which will be
updated regularly. Your work on these problems will not be turned in
for credit, but it is important to do as many of them as possible in
order to get the most out of the lectures.
Graded Homework Problems: Each class, problems will be posted that are
due the next class or at most a week later. You must do your own work
for these problem sets.
Exams: There will be three in-class exams, tentatively scheduled for:
Thursday, September 18 (this should be before the drop date)
Tuesday, October 21
Thursday, November 20
Final Exam: The cumulative final will be held on Tuesday, December 11, from 10:30a.m.-1:15pm.
Grading:
In-class tests: 15% each
Graded homework: 20%
Final exam: 35%
There will be no make-up tests. In case one of the class test scores is
lower than that of the Final exam (including a class test that is
missed), consideration will given by counting the final exam in its
place for 15% extra.
Scale:
A+
|
97-100;
|
A
|
93-96; |
A-
|
90-92;
|
B+
|
87-90; |
B
|
83-87; |
B-
|
80-82; |
C+
|
77-79; |
C
|
70-77
|
C-
|
Rare/Never;
|
D
|
60-69;
|
F
|
0-59
|
|
|
Disability Services: If you are a student with a disability and you
need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of
Disability Resources at 703/993-2474 and http://ods.gmu.edu/. All
academic accommodations must be arranged through that office. If you
need accommodation, it is your responsibility to contact me at least
two weeks before any exams.