Complex Analysis Math 461

Office hours (held in my office:  FO3-218): 
Feel free to stop by, email or call to schedule an appointment or ask a question!

Mathematics is the study of  numbers and space, communicated through the precise use of language. This course focuses on complex variables, which is a subject of current research as well as a fundamental tool in other areas of geometry and analysis.

Topics:  Theory and applications of complex variables. Analytic functions, integrals, power series, and applications. (Lecture 3 hrs.) 

Not open to students with credit in MATH 562A. 

The goals of this course are to introduce the students to the techniques of complex analysis, as well as give them practice using the communication skills developed in earlier mathematics courses.

Text: 

Basic Complex Analysis, Third Edition
Jerrold E. Marsden (California Institute of Technology)
Michael J. Hoffman (California State U., Los Angeles)

There is a student solutions manual for this text.  It is not required but would provide an excellent resource.

Homework.  Expect daily homework assignments, due the following class period.  The assignments will be graded subject to the following rules:

• A problem completed correctly and on time will receive 10 points.
• A problem completed correctly and up to one week late will receive 8 points. (I really want you to do the homework!)
• As most of the assignments are computational, the emphasis is on technique rather than writing, and rewrites will not be accepted.

Quizzes.  From time to time you may be give a quiz over basic computations or definitions.  The quiz grades will be grouped in with the homework.

Challenging problems.  In the first week of classes, you will be given a challenging problem whose solution you must find and present to the class during the course of the semester.  Each student must write up and turn in a solution to each of the problems, as they are presented.  The purpose of this assignment is to emphasize coherent communication of mathematical ideas.  I find students learn how to write down a rigorously correct proof, but have trouble when it comes to explaining mathematical ideas coherently.  The skills I hope students will gain from this exercise are those used in collaboration, when discussing problems that you do not know yet how to solve, as well as in teaching, when you wish your students to understand more than just the recipes for solutions to problems.

Exams:

 

Wednesday, March 6	Midterm 1
Wednesday, April 17	Midterm 2
Wednesday, May 22 2:45-4:45	Cumulative Final Exam

Grades:

 

Grade Distributions. Homework and Quizzes 30% Challenging Problems 10% Midterm 1 15% Midterm 2 15% Final Exam 30%

Cut-offs for letter grades.   Homework and Quizzes Challenging  Problems Midterm 1 Midterm 2 Final  A 90 90       B 80 80       C 70 70       D 60 60