Fall 2026

Abstract Algebra

Abstract Algebra (MATH 741) covers finite groups and noncommutative rings, including Sylow theorems and Wedderburn theorems.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Fall 2026 Jordan Ellenberg4.1/5

Summary

1 / 6

The homework is described as unique and interesting, but reviewers note that completing these assignments takes a significant amount of time.

Grade history

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average GPA
letter grades
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All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

Graduate/professional standing or member of the Pre-Masters Mathematics (Visiting International) Program

    • Graduate/professional standing
    • member of the Pre-Masters Mathematics (Visiting International) Program
    take one
MATH 741

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • Any of
    • Graduate/professional standing
    • member of the Pre-Masters Mathematics (Visiting International) Program

Professors

Fall 2026

Jordan Ellenberg

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.46/5 from 28 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 5.0/5 raw quality · 3.0/5 difficulty · 1 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Jordan Ellenberg is described as an incredible lecturer who makes the course coherent and intuitive. Reviewers appreciate his interesting homework assignments, though they note these tasks require a significant amount of time to complete.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2019: 3.65 GPA, 74.2% A/AB (n=31 letter grades); Fall 2020: 3.55 GPA, 72.4% A/AB (n=29 letter grades); Fall 2023: 3.69 GPA, 84.4% A/AB (n=45 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

Historical reviewer Donald Passman received a quality rating of 5 and a difficulty rating of 1, describing the course as 'Simply the best' in 2012.

DONALD PASSMAN is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2009, Fall 2011. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JORDAN ELLENBERG is recorded teaching in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Fall 2026

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction23 / 400

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Jordan Ellenberg delivers coherent, intuitive lectures that reviewers praise highly, though the course involves interesting but time-consuming homework assignments.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 3.69 GPA, 84.4% A/AB (n=45 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.55 GPA, 75.0% A/AB (n=32 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.53 GPA, 64.5% A/AB (n=31 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

The homework is described as unique and interesting, but reviewers note that completing these assignments takes a significant amount of time.

Students find the lectures incredibly engaging and the course structure intuitive, making the instructor a standout choice for this course.

Topics

  • Group theory: permutation groups, Lagrange's theorem, Cauchy's theorem, Sylow theorems, solvable and nilpotent groups
  • Ring theory: Artinian rings and modules, Wedderburn theorems, Hopkins-Levitzki theorem, Jacobson radical, density theorem

Skills

  • Study of finite groups and noncommutative rings
  • Group theory: permutation groups, Lagrange's, Cauchy's, Sylow theorems, solvable/nilpotent groups
  • Ring theory: Artinian rings/modules, Wedderburn theorems, Hopkins-Levitzki, Jacobson radical, density theorem

Grades

Latest available · Fall 2025— not enough history to project Fall 2026.

average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

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Grades over time

Through Fall 2025

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Fall 2025 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1320 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

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Selected offering source records
MATH 741 · Fall 2026

Abstract Algebra

Recorded 2026-09-07
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:600:011742",
    "course_id": "MATH 741",
    "course_uid": "course_72733c94bb8725b969d3e958",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "011742",
    "source_subject_id": "600",
    "title": "Abstract Algebra",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Occasionally"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

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Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-09-07

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4
LLM outputs across runs
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Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

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Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4",
  "model_revision": "1355db6a052410cfd62085d94b58866fd0f2c3c5",
  "task_version": "14",
  "output_id": "181606498679e2fdabb22dbfa4162498a302b5ca53b0881f840643a62c12f835",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00"
}