Winter 2004

Lectures: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 14:30-15:20 in BSB/304.

Announcements

• Assignment 5 has been marked; there's one assignment with no name on it - if it's yours come claim it. You can get your assignments back at the review session or come by my office to collect them. All the assignment marks (including the total) are now posted. Let me know of any discrepancies.

• Please read the information about the final exam (includes information about the office hours and the review session).

• The fourth assignment has been marked -- you can collect it from me. Also check all your marks on the web and let me know of any problems. Your assignment mark will be computed as follows: for assignments 1-4 the best four marks out of the five you received will be counted; then will add the mark for assignment 5.

• You can improve your test score as follows: submit a new solution to one of the questions 4, 5 or 6 on the test by 6pm on Thursday, March 11. You need to give me your test at that time as well. I will mark the new solution you submit; your mark for that question will then be the average of the mark for that question you got on the test and the new mark. The test score will be adjusted accordingly.

• Please read the information about the test; note you need to e-mail me if you have a schedule conflict with the test. Also read the info about the questions very carefully and let me know if you need any clarifications.

• Your marker is Semra Pamuk; her office hours are Wednesdays 10:30-11:20am in HH/303. Also, the third assignment is posted.

• I have added a remark at the end of question 6 on assignment 2 clarifying the description of points C and D. Also, your marks for assignment 1 are now posted.

• Assignment 2 and solutions to the first assignment are posted.

• Due to weather conditions today (Tuesday, January 27) you can also hand in your first assignment tomorrow; if you wish to do so, bring it to my office tomorrow (Wednesday, January 28) between 11am and 6pm.

• The due date for the first assignment has been changed to Tuesday, January 27.

• The first assignment has been posted. Read the information at the top of the page as well. If you have any questions about writing solutions to the assignments come talk to me.

• Check-out Euclid's Elements on-line. The site contains the statements of Propositions, their proofs and discussion of proofs (high-lighting hidden assumptions and omissions).

• Course announcements will be posted on the course web page: http://www.math.mcmaster.ca/strles/courses/3B3.html

Course Description

Prerequisites: Calculus Math 2A03 and Linear Algebra Math 2R03.

Course objective: To study geometries using both deductive and analytic techniques. To provide useful background for further study in differential geometry, topology, mathematical physics and computer graphics, and for teaching high-school geometry.

Course topics: Euclidean, spherical and hyperbolic geometry; projective geometry.

Text: Introduction to Geometry, by H.S.M. Coxeter, 2^nd Edition (Paperback), J. Wiley.

Evaluation

There will be one Midterm Test on Thursday, March 4, 2004, starting at 18:30. Mark this date and time in your calendar now. Location of the test will be announced in class and on the course web page. Do not arrive late for the test! In the unlikely event that a family matter or illness prevents you from attending the test, you must contact the Associate Dean as soon as possible with the appropriate documentation. You can be exempted from the test only if I am informed officially by the Faculty of Science (see the relevant paragraph of the 2003-2004 Undergraduate Calendar). If you get an official excuse for the test, your marks for the test will be added to the final.

There will be a three-hour Final Examination during the regular examination period. The date and time will be set by the registrar.

You must bring your student ID to the test and final exam.

Only the McMaster standard calculator – Casio fx991 will be allowed on the test and final exam.

There will be five marked homework assignments. In order to receive credit for an assignment you have to hand it in ON TIME.

Your course mark will be determined as follows:

Component	Weight
Homework	30%
Midterm Test	20%
Final Exam	50%

I reserve the right to change the weightings. If changes are made, your grade will be calculated using the original weightings and the new weightings, and you will be given the higher of the two grades. At the end of the course the grades may be adjusted but this can only increase your grade and will be done uniformly. I will use the grade equivalence chart on page 25 of the 2003-2004 Undergraduate Calendar to convert between letter grades, grade points and percentages.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various kinds of a academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3.

Useful Links

January 2004