Syllabus for 5423: Complex Analysis 1, Fall 2016

Please read this syllabus carefully. You will be responsible for all the information given here, and for any modifications to it that may be announced in class.

Instructor: Christian Remling
Office: PHSC 817
Phone: 325-5409
E-mail: cremling....math.ou.edu
Office hours: M 11 - 12, W 3:30 - 4:30, and by appointment.

Class Homepage: www.math.ou.edu/~cremling/teaching/ca1f16.html

Text: I will more or less follow R. Ash, W.P. Novinger, Complex variables, published by Dover Publications at a very reasonable price; in fact, a pdf file is available for free on the (late) author's homepage.
Ash-Novinger present the material in a straightforward no-nonsense style, with few digressions; if you prefer more lavish prose and detailed explanations, then perhaps take a look at D. Ullrich, Complex made simple. Ullrich organizes the material in almost exactly the same way as Ash-Novinger, so this would work well as a companion piece. In fact, Complex Analysis is a very classical area and a large number of polished books have been written on the subject, so if you go exploring in the library, you'll be in for more treats.

Quizzes: There will be (at least) ten pop-quizzes, which will be graded on a rather coarse scale (0, 1, 2, or 3 points of credit). No special preparation is required for these, but, obviously, it is extremely important that you stay caught up and get into the habit of regularly thinking about the material. You can't make up a quiz in case you didn't come to class or were late.

Homework: Weekly homework assignments will be announced in class, and they will be posted on the course web page. One week later, I will post solutions on D2L. There will be no formal grading at this point, but please do the homework when it is assigned and don't put it off. The homework is one of the most efficient tools at your disposal to become familiar with the material; moreover, it also hones many of the skills (such as a prolonged attention span, patience, psychological stamina) that are essential for survival in a mathematics graduate program. Don't deprive yourself of this opportunity.

After having worked on the problems yourself, you should then compare your work with my suggested solutions to the homework problems when they are posted.

Please use a separate notebook for your homework or collect your solutions in a folder. I will collect your homework three times during the semester (simultaneously with the midterms and at the end of the semester) and evaluate it on a 4 point scale. The criteria are completeness, carefulness of work, clarity of presentation.

Exams: We will have two midterms and a (comprehensive) final. The midterms will be held on September 30 and November 2. The final is scheduled for December 13, 4:30 - 6:30 pm.
All tests must be taken at the scheduled times, except in extraordinary circumstances. Please do not arrange travel plans that prevent you from taking any of the exams at the scheduled time.

Grading system: Your total score is computed by adding the scores from the individual categories. The maximum scores available in each category are:

Then the following scale is used: A 1000 - 875, B 874 - 750, C 749 - 625, D 624 - 500.
I will use D2L for the book-keeping, so you can check your current standing at learn.ou.edu at any time during the semester. Note that the percentages displayed on D2L are not necessarily relevant, especially if there should be bonus items.

This grading scheme is tentative; it provides you with a guarantee on what your grade will be in a worst case scenario. Depending on how things develop, I may very well lower the requirements or give opportunities for additional credit. However, under no circumstances will I apply special regulations for individual students, as this would be extremely unfair to the other students in class and it would also upset the whole grading process.

Withdrawal Policy: Click here for important dates.

Grade of Incomplete: The grade of I is a special-purpose grade given when a specific task needs to be completed to finish the coursework. This is typically a term paper or other special assignment, so rarely makes sense in a mathematics course. An I cannot be given to avoid receiving a low grade.

Academic Misconduct: See www.ou.edu/provost/integrity for University policies on academic misconduct.

Students with Disabilities: The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accomodation for students with disabilities. If you have a disability that may interfere with the demonstration of your abilities, please contact me as soon as possible to arrange accomodations necessary to ensure your full participation in the course. You will also need to register with the Office of Disability Services.