Please see the course home page for important additional information about the course.
The following assignments refer to lecture notes being revised in collaboration with Allen Altman. Normally, another section will be added to the set the evening before the material is to be discussed in class. These updated notes are available here in three formats; all three implement hyperreferencing in xdvi and acroread, and the third saves trees when printing.
NOTES (current 12/02/15): 11Nts.dvi and 11Nts.pdf and 11Nts-2up.pdf.
Caution, old notes are subject to scattered minor change. Comments are always welcome; please email them to me <Kleiman@math.MIT.edu>, and they may be rewarded with extra credit and a good word in a future letter of reference.Assigned problems are indicated below, after the date they're due. The numbers between parentheses refer to subsections (which are exercises) in the lecture notes. A running solution set is available here in the same three formats:
PROBLEMS (current 11/12/12): 11PS.dvi and 11PS.pdf and 11PS-2up.pdf.
This set will included the statements of all the problems, and be updated at the same time as the lecture notes; it will also be updated with solutions to the assigned problems shortly after they are due.The solution set will also include solutions to the unassigned problems. Do try to solve each one before reading its solution, in order to better appreciate the issue. And do read the solution even if you think you already know it, just to make sure. Further, some problems have alternative solutions, which may enlighten you.
The problems are exercises for your mathematical health. They provide a means for you to check, solidify, and expand your understanding of the material. They are not meant to be difficult, or tricky, or involved. Rarely do they introduce any new methods of proof.
If you find that you are stuck on any problem, then review the relevant material. If you remain stuck, then discuss the problem with someone. Of course, you must still think through each problem on your own, and write it up in your own words. Remember: in the end, what counts is that you can solve the problem correctly and that you can explain the solution clearly.
The assigned problems will form the basis for your grade. Your written solutions will count 60%. The remaining 40% will reflect your performance at the blackboard in the 60-minute oral final, where you will have to solve four of the assigned problems, selected at random, and to answer questions about their general context.