MAT 360: Geometric Structures        
Spring 2007

Where and When: Tuesdays and Thursday 12:50 to 2:10pm at Lgt Engr Lab154.

Text: Euclidean and non Euclidean Geometry Geometries, Development and History, (Third Edition) by Marvin Jay Greenberg, W.H. Freeman and Company.  (If you have a previous edition just make sure that you do the required exercises.)  texbook


About this course: This is a course in planar geometry, covering both Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries. It is assumed that you have already had a high-school course in Euclidean geometry (more precisely, know the geometry covered in MAT 200). Our approach will be primarily axiomatic. We will be doing  many proofs, so it is crucial that you be familar with basic logic and proof techniques (again, as covered in MAT 200).

We will cover the first six chapters of the textbook, and a bit more, if time permits. It is very important that you read along the book, one of the goals of this course is to work on your ability to understand technical material.

As you have probably learn by now, in order to learn mathematics you need to do mathematics. So, in order to succed in this course you need to work on as many problems as possible. The list of homework problems is a minimum, but "the sky is the limit".

We will likely have some work involving technology such as Geometer's Sketchpad.

Examinations and grading: There will be weekly homeworks, one midterm examination, and a comprehensive final examination. There will be a couple of projects, as well, one of them using Geometer's Sketchpad. The schedule will be periodically updated.

You are encouraged to discuss problems with classmates but all the work you submit must be individual. This means it must be written enterely by yourself. Identical or too similar works will recieve zero credit and risk further sanctions.

What When % of Final Grade
Midterm October 20%
Final Exam Tu Dec 18th, 11:00am-1:30pm 40%
Homeworks and Class Participation 30%
Projects 10%

More about homework: Homework problems and projects should be written in complete, clear and correct English sentences.  They should be easy to read by somebody who has a good mathematical background but is not following this course. All textbook results must be explicitely quoted.

We will grade selected problems but the students will not know in advance which problems will be graded.
Each graded homework problem (regarless its length or level of difficulty) will worth ten points. Each non-graded problem that is submitted will worth one point.

Homework: Points Removed
with a few minor mistakes,  omissions or missleading material       1 or 2
many minor mistakes, omissions or misleading material       3 or 4
with serious mistakes        5, 6 or 7
with minor problems with terminology, concepts or clarity of exposition        1 or 2
with major problems with terminology, concepts or clarity of exposition         3
which is not readable        10


Sketchpad projects: For these projects, you need to use Sketchpad software, which is available at SINC sites. Depending on the size of the class, we will have a couple at the Math Sync site to learn how to use this tool. 
To submit a project, justproblems send me the Sketchpad file by e-mail.

Course Slides: Power point presentations of the course will be available here 

Course webpage: http://www.math.sunysb.edu/~moira/mat360fall07

Instructor: Prof. Moira Chas

Email address: moira at math.sunysb.edu

Office hours:  Tu 1:00pm-3:00pm and Th 10:00am-11:00am and by appointment. Note you can have office hours by appoiment, which implies that at the end of the semester "I could not make your office hours" is not a valid excuse.

Grader:  Pedro Solorzano

Grader Office hours:   Math 2-119: Tu 4-6pm, MLC: Th 4-6pm

Grader email address: pedro at math.sunysb.edu

Disabilities: If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability Support Services, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, room 128, (631) 632-6748. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

Students requiring emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and Disability Support Services. For procedures and information, go to the following web site:

http://www.ehs.stonybrook.edu/fire/disabilities.asp