(no subject)

[go_gentle]

DEAR FLIST:

I LOVE ALL OF YOU. ♥♥♥♥♥

No, really. I stumbled out of bed this morning, sent to algebra (which was better than last class because we've moved away from representation theory and characters, and on to rings, which I actually understand), came home, checked my email to find my inbox full of good thoughts and love and hugs. You made me cry, guys. It was exactly what I needed.

For the record, I don't actually hate algebra - I dislike character tables and representations, and I'm not very good at algebra overall, but mostly we get along. I just prefer my math to happen non-discretely. And, this may be a long shot, but if anyone had a recommendation for an algebra text that deals with representations and characters well, I'd be interested. I'm looking for an alternative view on the material in chapter 9 of Artin's Algebra. (Um, for clarification - when I say 'algebra,' I mean the material often referred to as 'abstract algebra' or 'modern algebra' - the kind with group theory and stuff.)

Basically, I'm a little overworked and under-rested, and it's much harder to put things in perspective in this state, which accounts for my emo last night (caused by a number of things, not just algebra).

I haven't had time to go through the love meme and leave comments for you all yet (see the above about overworked and sleep-depped), but I just wanted to tell you guys how much better you all made my day today. ♥

Comments

[foreverdirt.livejournal.com]

omg, step away from Artin.

My favourite perspective on characters is from James and Liebeck (http://www.amazon.com/Representations-Characters-Groups-Gordon-James/dp/052100392X), and Serre does, of course, a lovely -- if quick -- treatment at the start of Linear Representations... (http://www.amazon.com/Linear-Representations-Finite-Graduate-Mathematics/dp/0387901906/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203745045&sr=1-1) I'll have a think if I can remember what else I learned from -- I'm afraid largely I met all these concepts for the first time in a course taught without reference to a textbook.

I don't have a copy of Artin around at the moment -- what exactly are you trying to cover?

[go-gentle.livejournal.com]

Woe, for I cannot step away from Artin, for I have class with him three times a week at an unfortunately early hour.

I...do not know exactly what we are trying to cover. I presume it's fairly introductory stuff - it's the second semester of undergrad intro to algebra, not something more specialized. These (http://www-math.mit.edu/18.702/pset2.pdf) two (http://www-math.mit.edu/18.702/pset3.pdf) assignments might give some idea of the material we're working with, though.

Thanks for the recommendations - I suspect I'll be spending some time in the library soon.

[foreverdirt.livejournal.com]

*nodnods* Hmm, cool -- I think both the books I mentioned will be useful for that. I guess Dummit and Foote (http://www.amazon.com/Abstract-Algebra-David-S-Dummit/dp/0471433349) has a good set of methods in its section on representation theory, though I seem to remember it's lightish on illumination.