3.1 (first half), due on January 19

1. Although the section brings up over and over again the word "ring", I am still not quite sure what in the world that is. The textbook says it is a system that shares a minimal number of fundamental properties with the integers and the integers(mod n). I am guessing that is why they started talking about matrices and rings, because matrices are just another system where some of the fundamental properties with the integers is shared with those of the integers(mod n) like multiplication and addition are non-commutative rings with identity. I am still not quite sure what that means though, or what the book means by integral domain or a field. I am hoping that we will talk about it a lot in class - maybe that way I will understand better.

2. I did like it that they started bringing in matrices. I have taken Linear Algebra and liked the class, so naturally I like matrices. So ya, the connection between Linear Algebra and this class is pretty cool. I also think it is very interesting that they are bringing in the complex numbers.