MATH 383 - Seminar

Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring
Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and department resources permit.

Prerequisite: MATH 321 Readings and conferences for a student or students on topics agreed upon with the directing staff. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Spring 2014 topic:

MATH 383: Set Theory and Logic (4). The goal of this course is to acquaint students with the basics of naïve set theory including cardinal and ordinal numbers, well ordering, the Axiom of Choice, and Zorn’s Lemma, as well as applications of these principles to other areas of mathematics. Beanland. Spring 2014

Winter 2014 topic:

Math 383: Geometry of Groups (3). Prerequisite: Math 321. This course introduces the subject of geometric group theory. We study groups as geometric objects and see groups acting on geometric objects. Topics include Cayley graphs and Cayley complexes, group actions, the word problem in group theory, growth of groups, graphs of groups, groups acting on trees, etc. Examples we encounter include free groups, Coxeter groups, braid groups, right-angled Artin groups, lamplighter groups, Baumslag-Solitar groups, and more. Abrams. Note: Note: Seminar and research offerings are contingent upon the demonstrated need and aptitude of the student for independent work in mathematics and upon the availability of departmental resources.