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.