Course Syllabus

Topics Course in Galois Theory
(MATH 7050, Spring 2026)
This document is subject to major updates until the first day of classes!
This syllabus is subject to minor corrections and updates at any time!

Last update: Tuesday, December 09, 2025


Instructor: Gábor Hetyei
Office: Fretwell 335F, E-mail: ghetyei@charlotte.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00-5:00 pm, or by appointment (eventual changes will be announced in class).
Text: Galois Theory, Second Edition by J. Rotman, Springer, ISBN: 978-0-387-98541-1. Linked electronically in the "Course Materials" section of our Canvas course. It may also be found online.
Prerequisite: MATH 5163 or permission of the department.
Topics: We will try to cover most of the content of Rotman's book. Key topics will be: field extensions, finite fields, Galois groups, applications.
Test dates:
Midterm: Thursday February 26, 3:30- 3:45 pm.
Final Exam: Tuesday, May 5, 2:00 - 4:30 pm (Double-check on the page of the UNC Charlotte Exam schedules !)
The final exam will be cumulative, consisting of two parts. The first part will be mandatory, covering only material taught after the midterm. The second half will contain questions reviewing the material taught before the midterm. This part will be optional, if left unanswered, I will substitute your midterm score.
Homework: Homework will be assigned every week, some to be turned in in writing, some will be presented by preselected students in class. Our goal is to make sure every student delivers the same number of oral presentations. You should be planning on attending all lectures. If you are unable to attend a lecture, you have to work out in writing and turn in all homework assigned for oral presentation on that day. (You will not get points for the writeup, they will only be used as evidence that you caught up with the covered material.)
Evaluation: Grades will be based on: 40% for the homework (written and oral), 30% for the midterm, and 30% for the final (20% for the mandatory part and 10% for the optional part).
Class meeting: Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30- 3:45 pm in Fretwell 205
Disabilities: UNC Charlotte is committed to access to education. If you have a disability and need academic accommodations, please send me your accommodation letter as early as possible. You are encouraged to meet with me to discuss the accommodations outlined in your letter. For more information on accommodations, contact the Office of Disability Services at 704-687-0040 (Fretwell 230).


Rules of the Classroom: To ensure that your fellow students' right of learning is protected, please observe the following:
  • If you attend the class via Zoom, your microphone should be muted, except when you ask a question.
  • Students must have proper registration to attend the class.
  • For further rules (banning discrimination and harassment of any kind) see the following University policies: Policy 406, The Code of Student Responsibility, Policy 502, Sexual Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures; and see the Information Technology Services Standard for Responsible Use
  • As for my behavior, correct me, if I address you incorrectly. If you changed your name recently and it is not reflected on the official roster, please use your Ninernet login ID to identify yourself on exams. This is also a good idea if you have the same name as someone else in class.
Academic Integrity: All students are required to read and abide by the Code of Student Academic Integrity. Violations of the Code of Student Academic Integrity, including plagiarism, will result in disciplinary action as provided in the Code. Definitions and examples of plagiarism are set forth in the Code. The Code is available from the Dean of Students Office or online. In this class, the following special rules apply:
  • You are allowed to collaborate on homework solutions, but you have to put them in writing using your own words. If two or more write-ups are identically worded, all of them will be rejected.
  • Exams will be closed book, without notes. We will have online exams, expect that I may require to have your web-camera on during the test. In either case verbatim quotes from the textbook, including theorem and page numbers will be considered academic misconduct.
Copyright issues: My lectures and course materials, including presentations, tests, exams, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. I am the exclusive owner of copyright in those materials I create. I encourage you to take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. However, you may not, nor may you knowingly allow others to reproduce or distribute lecture notes and course materials publicly without my express written consent. This includes providing materials to commercial course material suppliers such as CourseHero and other similar services. Students who publicly distribute or display or help others publicly distribute or display copies or modified copies of an instructor's course materials may be in violation of University Policy 406, The Code of Student Responsibility. Similarly, you own copyright in your original papers and exam essays. If I am interested in posting your answers or papers on the course web site, I will request your written permission.

I wish to especially underscore that under no circumstances should you make homework solutions publicly available.

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due