Spring 2008
MATH 4250/6250 HOMEPAGE
Ted Shifrin

MATH 4250/6250, Differential Geometry, meets TR 9:30-10:45

Text: Notes by T. Shifrin, Differential Geometry: A First Course in Curves and Surfaces, available from Baxter Street Bookstore, 360 Baxter St., for $11.35 or in .pdf form.

Other sources are:

D. Hilbert and S. Cohn-Vossen's classic, Geometry and the Imagination (reissued by Chelsea in 1952)
A. Gray, Modern Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces with Mathematica, second edition (CRC Press, 1997) — best for learning how to use Mathematica in the context of differential geometry
R. Millman and G. Parker, Elements of Differential Geometry (Prentice Hall 1977)
J. Oprea, Differential Geometry and its Applications, second edition (Prentice Hall 2004)

Homework (40%) will be collected approximately every three classes. There will be two midterm exams (15% each) and a final exam (30%). On each assignment, I will give a selection of problems, of which you must work five; typically I will specify one or two problems of central interest that everyone must do.

Review Session for final: Monday, May 5, 2008, 3:30-5:30 pm in room 304 (our usual classroom). I will also be in my office during the hours of 10 am-noon on Wednesday, April 30, and 1-3 pm on Friday, May 2.

The final exam will be comprehensive, with a few questions specifically on the material of Chapter 3. Although you should expect at least one question in the style of Chapter 1 on curves, you should expect more on the importance of curves in the study of surfaces. As usual, I would recommend that you study class notes, know how to do the required problems, and make sure you have a mastery of the material that appeared on the two midterm exams.

Final exam: Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 8-11 am in room 304 (our usual classroom).

Course Syllabus