second best lecturer I've ever seen (next to Tom Liggett). He's good at chess too, and he's the russian CRUSHER!

He was really a great professor, I would recommend him for any math course you can. While his exams are difficult he likes to give A's and grades were based on averages, not absolutes. You will come out of the class with a deeper understanding and love for Mathematics than when you entered.

He's ok, to my point of view. I had a trouble with his Russian accent, but that shouldn't be a discouraging factor for anyone who's a true Math student. His lecturing speed is average for me, but he will be giving out a lot of great infos about algebra world. I learnt a lot about linear algebra through the course. Of course, the TA, Anthony Ruozzi, helped tremendously. Both are great algebraists, and I enjoyed being instructed by them.
His tests aren't hard. I thought I screwed up in the second midterm but as it turned out, I got the second highest score. 'Cuz he will give you partial credits. If you let him know where you are going with the proof, and if you're going in the right direction, he'll be very merciful if you make numerical mistakes.
His tests do require a lot of insights into algebraic structures though, but they are doable.
Overall, take him for algebra, you'll love it.

very good lecturer!

super easy.. let's u use notes.. just study from the book and you'll be fine... you don't have to go to class if u know ur highschool shiznaz.

Someone check his pulse because I don't know if this man is alive. He smiled only once the entire quarter. I wanted to go up to him and slap him just so he would show some emotion. That said, he is probably one of the easiest math professors at UCLA. His notes are all theory and VERY hard to follow when you look back at them, but if you know how to do the homework, the exams should be no problem. His grading method is very cool too. Beware! He gives no partial credit what so ever, so check over your exams before you turn them in, I learned that the hard way.

interesting prof. his notes are all proofs, but there are a lot of computation problems in exams, basically leaving you not knowing what to expect, but making the exam somewhat easier. he has a flexible grading system, and his accent doesn't hinder at all, maybe just a little soft spoken. decent\\solid prof

Really nice guy; definitely knows Algebra like the back of his hand; a fairly good teacher in my opinion, but I thought his lectures were a little bit unclear. I think part of that is because he says a lot of stuff that is pretty important, but when he goes to write stuff on the board, he only writes out part of what he is saying. So pay close attention to everything he says, because if you're like me and your mind wanders at times, all of a sudden, you'll find yourself looking up at the board like, "What the F&^K!!!"

But I will say one thing in his favor--of all the Mathematicians I've studied under at UCLA, he is definitely the easiest and the fairest on his exams. Do all of your homework and I guarantee anyone out there (including non-math majors) and A in his class.

Prof. Merkurjev is one of my favorite professors at UCLA. He's a great lecturer; his lectures are always focused, clear, and informative. I learned so much in his classes. He is just awesome.

This is guy is one of the better math lecturers. Not only that, his tests are extremely fair. None of those gut-wrenching proofs to worry about. Pretty much straight-forward. His accent makes him a little hard to understand, but it shouldn't be a major barrier. I've had my fair share of shitty math profs, so trust me, and take this guy.