Abstract Algebra

Martin Isaacs, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Chair)

Patrick Bahls, University of North Carolina, Asheville
Thomas Judson, Stephen F. Austin State University
Harriet Pollatsek, Mount Holyoke College
Diana White, University of Colorado Denver

1 Introduction

What follows is a report summarizing the proposals of a group charged with developing
recommendations for undergraduate curricula in abstract algebra.1 We begin by articulating
the principles that shaped the discussions that led to these recommendations. We then
indicate several learning goals; some of these address specific content areas and others address
students general development. Next, we include three sample syllabi, each tailored to meet
the needs of specific types of institutions and students. Finally, we present a brief list of
references including sample texts.

2 Guiding Principles

We lay out here several principles that underlie our recommendations for undergraduate
Abstract Algebra courses. Although these principles are very general, we indicate some of
their specific implications in the discussions of learning goals and curricula below.

Diversity of students
We believe that a course in Abstract Algebra is valuable for a wide variety of students,
including mathematics majors, mathematics education majors, mathematics minors,
and majors in STEM disciplines such as physics, chemistry, and computer science.
Such a course is essential preparation for secondary teaching and for many doctoral
programs in mathematics. Moreover, algebra can capture the imagination of students
whose attraction to mathematics is primarily to structure and abstraction (for example,
1
As with any document that is produced by a committee, there were some disagreements and compromises.
The committee members had many lively and spirited communications on what undergraduate Abstract
Algebra should look like for the next ten years. However, each recommendation was approved by a majority
of the committee, and we have tried to arrive at a consensus on our recommendations whenever possible.

1
 art and music majors). We note also that abstract algebra is a standard course of study
at institutions of all sorts and sizes, from small liberal arts colleges to large research-
intensive universities. We therefore adopt the view that our recommendations for
curricula and learning goals must take into account this diversity.
Prerequisites
We think it reasonable to expect that all students taking any version of Abstract
Algebra as part of a mathematics major should have studied basic linear algebra, and
they should have had a course in which they were exposed to reading and writing
proofs.

Non-prescription of course content

The diversity of the student community and the richness of algebra as an area of study
imply a diversity of topics that could be covered in a course in Abstract Algebra. While
some topic may be of prime importance for a student pursuing one goal, that topic
might be relatively unimportant to a student with different goals. Moreover, some
of the learning goals we articulate below can be achieved regardless of the specific
concepts a given course in Abstract Algebra treats. We therefore adopt the view that
there are few topics that must be included in any given course in Abstract Algebra.
For this reason, we offer below three different syllabi, tailored to meet the needs of
different institutions and students. In each case we outline what we see as some of
the advantages and disadvantages of the choice of topics for various student audiences,
and we do not expect any of our proposed syllabi to be followed rigidly.
Non-prescription of pedagogical techniques
Just as there is no specific set of algebraic concepts that must be covered in any given
course in abstract algebra, we feel that also, no given instructor must adopt any specific
pedagogical practice in teaching such a course. Also, courses can differ; one may give
students a broad view of many algebraic ideas while another may encourage students
to gain deep understandings of just a few topics. Given this, we adopt the view that
we cannot recommend any specific teaching technique in preference to others.
The use of technology
We note that the use of technology in teaching and learning abstract algebra is evolving
rapidly. Programs such as Gap, Magma and Sage are now being used to foster student
engagement and in other ways to help students learn. We recommend that those
teaching abstract algebra should carefully monitor the situation.
The importance of students active engagement
Although we refrain from specifying pedagogical practices, we do feel that active stu-
dent engagement is necessary for a mastery of algebraic ideas. In particular, it is
essential that students should wrestle with hard problems and communicate their solu-
tions with care, in writing and in speaking. In addition, problem-based, inquiry-based

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 and collaborative learning activities are appropriate means of maintaining student en-
gagement.

3 Cognitive Learning Goals

We articulate several specific cognitive learning goals appropriate for undergraduate courses
in abstract algebra. For each of these we list some activities that may help students to
achieve that goal or to demonstrate a mastery of it. We recognize, however, that given the
diverse needs of various institutions and students, no specific course will address all of these
goals equally.

Awareness of logical coherence Students should be aware of the logical flow of ideas
in the development of the various theorems of abstract algebra. More specifically, they
should understand that results depend on earlier results, and are not merely random facts.
examples: In group theory, students should see the connections between cosets, Lagranges
theorem, normality and factor groups. In ring theory, students should be aware of which
facts about the ring of polynomials over a field are consequences of the division algorithm.

Understanding formal definitions Students should see the importance of precise for-
mal definitions, including the definitions of groups, rings and fields by sets of axioms. They
should appreciate the fact that these axiom systems apply to many different concrete ob-
jects. Students should also understand and be able to apply definitions of algebraic objects
such as subgroups, homomorphisms and ideals, and of adjectives such as abelian and nor-
mal. Students should be able to produce examples of these concepts and to solve problems
concerning them. examples: Students should be able to provide examples of a non-
commutative ring, of a subring that is not an ideal, of a subgroup that is not a normal
subgroup, of a homomorphism that is not an isomorphism, of a non-abelian group of order
10, etc.

Communication Students should be able to communicate their mathematical ideas clearly,

completely, and concisely, both in writing and in speaking. examples: Some assignments
should require carefully written paragraphs, and they should be graded at least in part on
the clarity and coherence of the writing. Students should have opportunities to present their
ideas orally in class.

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Conjectures and justifications Students should be able to recognize patterns and for-
mulate conjectures about those patterns, and they should be able to create examples to test
their conjectures, and perhaps find proofs or counterexamples. Students should also be able
to read and critique the arguments of others. example: In the study of finite groups, but
before Lagranges theorem is introduced, students might make conjectures about possible
orders of elements.

Integration and application of course concepts Students should be able to describe

connections between Abstract Algebra and other mathematics courses they have taken, and
they should be able to apply algebra to solve problems in other areas of mathematics and
in other disciplines. Students preparing for teaching secondary school mathematics should
be able to explain the links between the concepts of abstract algebra and corresponding
concepts in the high school mathematics curriculum. examples: Connections to linear
algebra: Students should recognize that vector spaces are additive groups and that linear
transformations are group homomorphisms. Students should see that the determinant map
is a homomorphism from the group of invertible square matrices with real entries to the mul-
tiplicative group of nonzero real numbers. Connections to calculus: Students should see that
polynomials over the real numbers form a ring and that differentiation is an additive group
homomorphism but not a ring homomorphism. Connections to the high school curriculum:
see the description of Algebra E in Section 5.

4 Other Learning Goals

The literature on learning establishes the importance of goals other than the cognitive goals
with which traditional content-driven education is concerned. Such goals include helping
students to build confidence at performing mathematics and encouraging them to take own-
ership of their own learning. Learning to persevere in the face of frustration is another
important goal for students of mathematics.

5 Sample Syllabi

We present sample syllabi for three distinct undergraduate Abstract Algebra courses, which,
for convenience, we call Algebra A, Algebra E and Algebra B. These are respectively: a
general first course, a course for prospective high-school teachers, and a sequel to the general
course suitable for students who are especially interested in algebra and for students who
intend to go on to graduate school. We stress that these are only samples, and that insti-

4
tutions or individual instructors may wish to modify them, or to create still other syllabi
that will better meet the needs of their students. We recognize that not every institution
will have the resources to offer algebra courses other than the basic Algebra A, but we are
providing syllabi for Algebra E and Algebra B in the hope that at least some will offer one
or both of these courses. Of course, some institutions may wish to create second courses
in Abstract Algebra different from our Algebra B, perhaps targeted at other audiences.

5.1 Algebra A

This course offers what we feel is a standard model for a first-semester Abstract Algebra
course suitable for nearly every college or university. We feel some tension between the
breadth of a first course that includes both groups and rings and the depth of one that
focuses only on groups or only on rings. One argument for breadth is that both rings
and groups are implicit in the pre-collegiate curriculum, and we feel that every student
would benefit from an opportunity to see these concepts developed. For example, pre-college
students encounter the rings of integers, rational numbers, real numbers, polynomials etc.
and they will probably have also seen various groups of symmetries, both in the elementary
grades and in high school geometry. We thus recommend that this one-semester course
should cover both groups and rings, and also (lightly) fields. A disadvantage of this breadth
is, of course, that the student has less opportunity to explore a single structure in depth. For
this reason, some institutions might wish to offer an alternative first Abstract Algebra course
that focuses more deeply one area: for example finite group theory. Such a course might
start with definitions and examples, and eventually reach a proof of the Sylow existence
theorem, and perhaps more.

The order of the topics can be chosen to suit the instructors preference. Whichever of groups
or rings is studied first, the student has the experience of learning one structure and then
seeing the parallels in the second. (The analogy we make is to learning a computer language,
and then the empowerment that comes with the realization of how much easier it is to learn
a second language.) Our study group prefer groups first, because of their simpler definition
(only one binary operation and fewer axioms) and because the familiarity of the integers
and the real numbers can hide from students which statements require proof. On the other
hand, we recognize that some instructors prefer to begin with rings exactly because of their
familiarity to students. Studying rings first also provides some useful facts about the integers
such as the division algorithm and properties of the greatest common divisor.

Suggested topics for Algebra A

Groups.

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 Definitions and examples of groups and subgroups. Examples should include but not
be limited to groups of rotations and reflections of planar figures and rotations of 3-
dimensional objects, symmetric groups, integers modulo n with respect to addition
and unit groups of integers modulo n with respect to multiplication, invertible 2 2
real matrices under multiplication.

Cyclic groups and their subgroups, and the orders of elements.

Symmetric groups, cycle notation, parity of a permutation and the alternating group.
(See the remarks below.)

Isomorphisms and Cayleys Theorem. (See the remarks below.)

Cosets and Lagranges Theorem, the falsity of the converse of Lagranges Theorem,
and if time permits, the statement of the Sylow existence theorem.

Group actions. (See the remarks below.)

External direct products, if time permits.

Normal subgroups and factor groups, conjugates of a subgroup and of an element.

Homomorphisms, and the Fundamental Homomorphism Theorem. (See the remarks

below.)

Statement of the structure theorem for finite abelian groups, if time permits.

Rings.

Definitions and examples of rings and fields. Examples should include but not be
limited to the integers and integers modulo n (including the fact that if n is prime,
then one gets a field), rational, real and complex fields, polynomial rings, Gaussian
integers and matrix rings. Also, if time permits, some finite fields of non-prime order
can be discussed. (See the remarks below.)

Ideals and factor rings.

Principal ideals, integral domains, principal ideal domains, maximal and prime ideals.

Homomorphisms, the Fundamental Homomorphism Theorem, the theorem that a com-

mutative ring modulo a maximal ideal is a field.

Polynomial rings and irreducible polynomials.

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Remarks. Actions of groups on sets provide a modern and unifying approach to group
theory, although several of us feel that this may be too abstract for many students at the level
of Algebra A. Those teaching very strong students may wish to consider this approach since
it can be used to construct homomorphisms from abstract groups into symmetric groups, and
Cayleys theorem is an immediate consequence. This theory can also be used to construct
normal subgroups. It yields, for example, the fact that a subgroup H G whose index is
the smallest prime divisor of the order of G must be normal. A little deeper is the orbit-
stabilizer theorem and its use in counting things, but we do not recommend covering that
except perhaps for an exceptionally well-prepared student population.

Some instructors may prefer to omit the proof that the parity of a permutation is well
defined. Students should understand, however, that some argument is needed; that this fact
is not obvious. We note that several proofs of this are available which avoid Q
the tedious
subscript bookkeeping required in the usual argument involving the polynomial (xi xj ).

We referred to the Fundamental Homomorphism Theorem. By this we mean the result

(in both group theory and ring theory) that the image of a homomorphism is isomorphic to
the original object modulo the kernel.

We do not feel that general finite fields can be covered in this course, but it is possible to
give explicit constructions of fields with 4 or 9 elements. For the field of order 9, consider
objects of the form a + bi, where a and b are integers modulo 3 and i2 = 1 2.

Students should be exposed to applications of algebra. For example, after discussing per-
mutation parities, the impossibility of attaining certain configurations in puzzles such as the
15-puzzle and Rubiks cube could be discussed. A good application is Polya counting, but
to do that with proofs would require the orbit-stabilizer theorem. Other applications could
include topics from cryptography and coding theory.

5.2 Algebra E

This one-semester course is intended for prospective high-school teachers, who would take
it in place of Algebra A. Algebra E treats rings, fields and groups, with approximately two
thirds of the course on rings and fields, and it highlights the connections of these topics to high
school mathematics. These recommendations are aligned with those from the Conference
Board of the Mathematical Sciences publication The Mathematical Education of Teachers II.
There is a stronger argument for doing rings and fields first for this course. Some knowledge
of the history of mathematics is also valuable for prospective teachers, and while we do
not prescribe specific topics, we suggest that some ancillary reading could be used for this
purpose.

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In terms of difficulty, rigor and prerequisites, Algebra E should be comparable to Algebra A.
The focus in this course, however, rests more squarely on topics that are especially relevant
for future high-school teachers. In this course too, students should be exposed to some
applications of algebra.

We note that other courses recommended for prospective teachers in the MET II document
include topics from abstract algebra, such as number theory (e.g., congruences) and geometry
(e.g., groups of transformations of the plane preserving distance and angles). The MET II
document also recommends three courses treating high school mathematics from an advanced
standpoint, and it would be natural to include connections to abstract algebra there as well.

Suggested topics for Algebra E

Rings and fields.

Definitions and examples of rings and fields. Examples should include but not be lim-
ited to the integers, the integers modulo n, rational, real and complex fields, polynomial
rings, Gaussian integers, fields of prime order and matrix rings.

The division algorithm and its consequences for integers and for polynomial rings,
including the Euclidean algorithm for both, and the remainder theorem and the factor
theorem for polynomials. The fact that polynomials of degree n can have at most n
roots and perhaps also the rational root theorem. (See the remarks below.)

Ideals and factor rings.

Principal ideals, integral domains, principal ideal domains.

Homomorphisms, the Fundamental Homomorphism Theorem.

The construction of the complex numbers as a quotient of the ring of real polynomials
by the ideal generated by x2 + 1.

Rings and fields and the high school curriculum.

The field of complex numbers, including exponential notation, DeMoivres theorem,

and the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra (without proof).

The arithmetic in Z compared with that in Z/nZ. (The goal is to understand the
importance of the lack of zero divisors when solving polynomial equations by factoring.)

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 The connection between the algebra of polynomial rings and the base 10 arithmetic of
integers.

The distinction between polynomials and polynomial functions.

A brief discussion of compass and straightedge constructibility and the impossibility of

trisecting an angle, squaring a circle and doubling a cube, if time permits. (Students
should at least learn what those problems actually are.)

Groups.

Definitions and examples of groups and subgroups. Examples should include but not
be limited to groups of rotations of geometrical objects, symmetric groups, integers
modulo n with respect to addition and unit groups of integers modulo n with respect
to multiplication, invertible real 2 2 matrices under multiplication.

Cyclic groups and orders of elements.

Symmetric groups, the parity of a permutation and the alternating group. (But the
proof that the parity is well defined can be omitted.)

Isomorphisms. (See the remarks below.)

Some or all of the following three topics, as time permits:

Cosets and Lagranges Theorem and the falsity of the converse of Lagranges theorem.

Normal subgroups and factor groups.

Homomorphisms and the Fundamental Homomorphism Theorem.

Groups and the high school curriculum.

The isomorphism between the additive group of the real numbers and the multiplicative
group of the positive real numbers given by the exponential and logarithm functions.

Congruence and similarity in geometry as equivalence relations defined by groups of

transformations.

The connection between determinants and permutation parity, if time permits.

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Remarks. The above list of topics seems rather full, so instructors teaching Algebra E
will probably have to decide which topics are most important for their students and which
to omit.

A good example of a non-obvious group isomorphism is the isomorphism between the group
of rotational symmetries of a cube and the symmetric group on four symbols.

The remainder theorem for polynomials over a field is the fact that f (a) is exactly the
remainder when the polynomial f is divided by x a, and the factor theorem is the corollary
that a is a root of f precisely when (x a) is a factor. Note that the fact that a polynomial
of degree n can have no more than n roots follows by induction on n, without establishing
unique factorization. The rational root theorem is the fact that if a/b is a root of a polynomial
f having integer coefficients, where a and b are coprime integers, then b divides the leading
coefficient of f and a divides the constant term.

5.3 Algebra B

This course is a one-semester sequel to Algebra A. It is intended for students especially

interested in algebra, and for students who intend to pursue graduate study in mathematics.
We feel that for a course of this nature, the list of topics addressed can be somewhat more
flexible than for Algebra A and Algebra E. For example, besides traditional second-semester
concepts such as Sylow theory, Galois theory, advanced topics in linear algebra and perhaps
modules, instructors may wish to include discussions of topics in which they have a special
interest. Also, it is probably not possible to cover all of the topics listed below in one
semester, so instructors will have to decide what to include and to omit. We note that there
are also a number of special topics courses that can also be worthy successors to Algebra
A. Without attempting to be exhaustive, we mention a few possibilities: computational
algebraic geometry an introduction to representation theory, Lie groups and Lie algebras.

Suggested topics for Algebra B

Groups.

Group actions and their orbits, the orbit-stabilizer theorem and the orbit counting
formula (erroneously) attributed to Burnside and Polya counting. (See the remarks
below.)

If time permits, some of the following: conjugacy class sizes, the class equation, and
the fact that nontrivial p-groups have nontrivial centers. Also the Sylow existence

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 theorem and the simplicity of the alternating group A5 can be included here.

Linear algebra.

A quick review of vector spaces, bases and dimension, linear transformations and their
matrices, eigenvalues and eigenspaces.

Minimal and characteristic polynomials and the Cayley-Hamilton theorem.

Nilpotent linear operators and the Jordan canonical form.

Linear functionals and dual spaces.

Fields.

Algebraic extensions, finite degree extensions and minimal polynomials. Multiplicativ-

ity of degrees of extensions.

Adjoining a root of a polynomial and existence of splitting fields. Repeated roots

and formal derivatives. Uniqueness of splitting field. (Needed for uniqueness of finite
fields.)

Finite fields, existence and uniqueness.

Discussion of geometric constructions. The impossibility of trisecting an angle, squar-

ing a circle and doubling a cube. The construction of regular n-gons. (See the remarks
below.)

Module theory.

Modules, submodules, module-homomorphisms and factor modules.

Modules over PIDs and the fundamental theorem of abelian groups. (See the remarks
below.)

The rational canonical form for linear operators.

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Galois theory (brief introduction)

Galois groups.

Solvability by radicals. (See the remarks below.)

P
Remarks. The so-called Burnside orbit counting formula is N = (1/|G|) (g), where
N is the number of orbits and (g) is the number of fixed points of the group element g,
and where the sum runs over g G. As historical research by P. M. Neumann showed,
this formula is more properly attributed to Cauchy and Frobenius. An example of Polya
counting is the use of this formula to count the number of essentially different ways that the
faces of a cube can be colored using a palette of n colors.

At this level one cannot prove all of the relevant facts about compass and straightedge
constructions. The impossibility of each the three classical hard problems comes down to
the fact that a certain complex number does not lie in a field extension of 2-power degree
3
over the rationals. For squaring a circle, = and for doubling a cube, = 2. To
see that general angle trisection is impossible, it suffices to show that a 40 angle cannot be
constructed, and for that, we can take = e2/9 , At least some part of this theory could be
presented at the level of Algebra B. Also, it seems that students in Algebra B should learn
about Gauss necessary and sufficient condition that a regular n-gon can be constructed.
(The condition is that n is a power of 2 times a product of distinct Fermat primes.)

There was much discussion within the working group about whether or not module theory
should be included in Algebra B. One argument in favor of including it is that modules
provide a natural setting for the fundamental theorem of abelian groups. This theorem can
be presented, however, without the general theory of modules over PIDs, and in addition,
there is a fairly easy inductive argument that can be used to show that every finite abelian
group is a direct sum of cyclic subgroups.

As is the case with compass and straightedge constructions, it is also true that Galois theory
cannot be presented with complete proofs in this course, but still, it seems appropriate for
students in Algebra B to learn what a Galois group is, what it means for a group to be
solvable, what it means for a polynomial to be solvable by radicals, and the connections
between these ideas.

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6 Resources

We list below some books that might be considered as possible texts for an undergraduate
Abstract Algebra course, and we list separately books that instructors (or students) might
want to consult to gain further insight into algebra, its history and its pedagogy. (Of course,
the line between these two categories of books is not clearly defined.) Please note that some
of the books listed were written by the authors of this report.

6.1 Textbooks

Remark: The presence of a text on this list is not meant to imply an endorsement
of that text, nor is the absence of a particular text from the list meant to be an
anti-endorsement. The texts are chosen to illustrate the sorts of texts that support
various types of Abstract Algebra courses.

1. Artin, Michael, Algebra, 2nd edition. Pearson, 2011. (A textbook for advanced under-
graduates.)

2. Birkhoff, Garrett and MacLane, Saunders, A Survey of Modern Algebra, A. K. Peters,

1998. (This is a classic, originally published in 1941. It treats rings first.)

3. Carter, Nathan, Visual Group Theory, MAA, 2009. (Many diagrams, but group theory
only.)

4. Cox, David; Little, John and OShea, Donal, Ideals, Varieties, and Algorithms: An
Introduction to Computational Algebraic Geometry and Commutative Algebra Springer,
2nd edition, Corrected printing, 2005. (This might be suitable for a second Abstract
Algebra course different from our Algebra B.)

5. Cuoco, Al and Rotman, Joseph J, Learning Modern Algebra: From Early Attempts to
Prove Fermats Last Theorem, MAA, 2013. (This historically organized text is suitable
for prospective teachers. It also aims to show how important themes in algebra arose
from questions related to teaching.)

6. Dubinsky, Ed and Leron, Uri, Learning Abstract Algebra with ISETL. Springer, 1993.
(ISETL is a programming language. This text encourages students to work with alge-
braic ideas.)

7. Dummit, David S. and Foote, Richard M, Abstract Algebra, 3rd edition, John Wiley &
Sons, 2003. (As with Artins book, above, this text would be suitable only for advanced
undergraduates; it may be too ambitious as a text for Algebra A.)

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 8. Fraleigh, John B., A First Course in Abstract Algebra, 7th edition, Pearson, 2003. (A
very popular undergraduate algebra textbook.)
9. Gallian, Joseph A., Contemporary Abstract Algebra, 8th edition, Cengage, 2012. (May
be the most widely used undergraduate algebra text.)
10. Gilbert, L. and Gilbert J., Elements of Modern Algebra, 7th edition, Brooks/Cole,
2012. (A popular textbook that is written at a more introductory level.)
11. Goodman, F. M., Algebra: Abstract and Concrete, Prentice Hall, 2003. (Stresses sym-
metry. Free online)
12. Herstein, I.N., Topics in Algebra, 2nd edition. John Wiley & Sons, 1975. (A classic.
It might be used for a strong Algebra A class, and also for Algebra B.)
13. Herstein, I.N., Abstract Algebra, 3rd edtion. John Wiley & Sons, 1996. (This is
probably more suitable than the older Herstein text for Algebra A.)
14. Hungerford, Thomas, Abstract Algebra: An Introduction, 3nd edition, Brooks/Cole,
2014. (One of the few textbooks that uses a rings-first approach.)
15. James, Gordon and Liebeck, Martin, Representations and Characters of Groups, Cam-
bridge Mathematical Textbooks, Cambridge University Press, 1993. (Suitable for a
topics course following Algebra A.)
16. Judson, Thomas W., Abstract Algebra: Theory and Applications, 1997 (revised 2011).
(The text of the book is available free online here and available in Sage worksheet
format here.)
17. Rotman, Joseph J., A First Course in Abstract Algebra, 3rd edition, Pearson, 2005.
(This book does some commutative algebra as well as topics from linear algebra, in-
cluding canonical forms.)
18. Schifrin, Theodore, Abstract Algebra: a Geometric Approach, Pearson, 1995. (Its gen-
esis was a series of algebra workshops for in-service teachers. The result is a text that
would be particularly suitable for Algebra E.)
19. Solomon, Ronald, Abstract Algebra, Pure and Applied Undergraduate Texts 9, AMS,
2003. (This text takes a novel approach, including topics not often covered in under-
graduate texts. It emphasizes the historical development of the ideas and is aimed at
prospective high school teachers.)
20. Stillwell, John, Naive Lie Theory, Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics, Springer-
Verlag, 2008. (Suitable for a topics course following Algebra A.)
21. Tapp, Kristopher, Matrix Groups for Undergraduates, Student Mathematical Library
29, american Mathematical Society, 2005. (Suitable for a topics course following
Algebra A.)

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6.2 Other relevant books

1. Bashmakova, I.G., and Smirnova, G. S., The Beginnings and Evolution of Algebra,
MAA, 2000.

2. Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences. The Mathematical Education of

Teachers, Volume 11 in the CBMS series Issues in Education, AMS and MAA, 2001.

3. Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences. The Mathematical Education of

Teachers II, Volume 17 in the CBMS series Issues in Education, AMS and MAA,
2012. (Available at www.cbmsweb.org.)

4. Cooke, Roger, Classical Algebra: Its Nature, Origins, and Uses, John Wiley & Sons,
2008.

5. Isaacs, I. Martin, Algebra: A Graduate Course, AMS Graduate Studies in Mathematics,

1994; originally published by Brooks/Cole. (This advanced text covers most of the
topics in our syllabi thoroughly. It is a good reference for instructors and advanced
students.)

6. Kleiner, Israel, A History of Abstract Algebra, Birkhauser, 2007.

7. Parker, Ellen Maycock, Laboratory Experiences in Group Theory: A Manual to Be

Used With Exploring Small Groups. MAA, 1996.

8. Sultan, A. and Artzt, A., The Mathematics that Every Secondary School Math Teacher
Needs to Know, Routledge, Taylor & Francis, 2011.

9. Usiskin, Z., Peressini, A. L., Marchisotto, E. and Stanley, D., Mathematics for High-
School Teachers An Advanced Perspective, Pearson, 2003.

10. van der Waarden, B. L., Modern Algebra, volumes 1 and 2, Springer, 1991. (Originally
published in German in 1930. A true classic, but not suitable as an undergraduate
text.)

11. Wussing, Hans, The Genesis of the Abstract Group Concept: A Contribution to the
History of the Origin of Abstract Group Theory, Dover, 2007.

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