We are glad to announce that Department of Mathematics, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI) will be conducting a special colloquium on “Transition from High-School Algebra to College Algebra” on 23 September 2024, 3:00 PM at Room No. 402, Department of Mathematics, Belur Campus.
Speaker : Prof. Amartya Dutta, ISI Kolkata
Co-ordinator: Prof. Stephan Baier
Abstract
The algebra taught up to the higher secondary stage is a part of “Classical Algebra'' which is primarily a study of polynomials: solutions of polynomial equations, relations between the roots and coefficients of polynomials. At the college level, students get introduced to “Modern Algebra'' or “Abstract Algebra'' which is primarily a study of abstract structures like groups, fields, rings and ideals. The late Prof. S.S. Abhyankar gave the names “High-School Algebra'' and “College Algebra'' to “Classical Algebra'' and “Abstract Algebra'' respectively.
Though we use the common name “Algebra'', the High-School Algebra and College Algebra may appear to the students to be completely different branches of study, mysteriously linked by a common name. In this talk we shall try to indicate a link between the two: First, we will discuss the solution of the cubic polynomial and how the investigations on the higher degree polynomials brought into the forefront the idea of “permutation'' of roots and thus, implicitly, the idea of “group action''. Next, we will indicate how the ideas of groups and fields emerged from these investigations.
| Faculty/Staff Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Stephan Baier (Primary Coordinator) | Mathematics – Belur Campus |