Take-Home Final (There are also copies of the final on my office door.)
TYPOS ON FINAL: (1) Problem 5(a) should say "a in A, b in B, c in C". (2) In Problem 5(c) the argument of inverse tanh should be the magnitude of the expression in w_1 and w_2, not the expression itself. I have corrected these typos in the file linked above.
The final is due on Monday, Dec. 12 at noon, in my office (503 Malott).
You will notice that Problem 2 on the exam was already assigned as homework. Please write up a complete solution from the beginning, don't just quote your homework. Everyone should get this problem completely correct!!
I will have office hours next week on Monday (2:30-3:30) and Wednesday (3:30-4:30). You can also just stop by my office at any time, or send me an email and I will meet you there. I will be out of town on Thursday and Friday, but I will answer my email on Saturday and Sunday.
Professor: Karen Vogtmann, 503 Malott Hall, vogtmann@math.cornell.edu, Phone: 255-6494.
Grader: Andrew Marshall alm255@cornell.edu
Introduction to hyperbolic and projective geometry, the classical geometries that developed as Euclidean geometry was better understood. For example, the historical problem of the independence of Euclid's fifth postulate is understood when the existence of the hyperbolic plane is realized. Straightedge (and compass) constructions and stereographic projection in Euclidean geometry can be understood within the structure of projective geometry. Topics in hyperbolic geometry include models of the hyperbolic plane and relations to spherical geometry. Topics in projective geometry include homogeneous coordinates and the classical theorems about conics and configurations of points and lines.
John Stillwell, The Four Pillars of Geometry
http://www.math.cornell.edu/~vogtmann/4520
Prelim 1: Thursday, September 29th, in class.
Prelim 2: Thursday, November 3, in class.
Take-Home final: due December 12.
TuTh 10:10-11:25, Malott 203
Karen Vogtmann, 503 Malott Hall, Mondays 2:30-4:30 p.m.(or by appointment).
Prelims count 20% each, the final 30%, and the remaining 30% is based on homework and class participation.
Homework will be assigned weekly to be handed in before Friday 1:00 PM. There is an envelope on my office door to deposit homework.
Late homework will not be accepted . The homework is the most important part of the course. No matter how well you think you understand the material presented in class, you won't really learn it until you do the problems. You are free to devise whatever strategy for learning the material suits you best. This may involve collaboration withother students. We believe, however, that most people will get the maximum benefit from the homework if they try hard to do all the problems themselves before consulting others. In any case, whatever you turn in should represent your own solution, expressed in your own words, even if this solution was arrived at with help from someone else. Remember, you are doing the homework in order to learn the material; don't try to defeat the purpose of it.
You are responsible for the material covered in class, whether you attend or not. You are also responsible for any announcements made during class, even if they never get posted on this web page. If you cannot attend a class, ask another student to fill you in. In particular, I will not respond to email requests asking about what you missed.
An incomplete will be given only in those rare circumstances where a student has completed all but a small portion of the course with a grade C or better and a severe, unexpected event prevents him/her from completing the course. In particular, if you get behind in the course you cannot "bail out" by taking an incomplete.