From koc@ECE.ORST.EDU Wed Nov 15 01:27:59 2000 Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 01:20:05 -0800 (PST) From: Cetin Kaya Koc To: islmail@security.ece.orst.edu Subject: Course Announcement for Winter 2001 (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 20:39:33 -0800 From: Mary Flahive COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT--WINTER 2001 Mth 441/541 Applied and Computational Algebra MWF 1:00 Background: The Noisy Channel Theorem was proved by Claude Shannon in 1948, proving that every communication channel has a "good" encoding scheme. His proof is not constructive and no one has yet constructed such an encoding scheme. In the intervening years coding theorists have used algebra to obtain easily implemented codes; the inherent structure provides good error detection and correction. Coding theory is the principal application for this term of Applied and Computational Algebra. Course Topics: In this course we develop the theory of finite fields which we apply to the development and analysis of codes. Among the codes we consider are: polynomial, Hamming, BCH, linear. We will develop all necessary algebra. Maple will be the primary computing tool for the computing component of the course. No previous experience with Maple is required. Prerequisites: Mth 342 or Mth 441/541 or instructor consent. Textbook: Elements of Algebraic Coding Theory by Lekh R. Vermani, Chapman & Hall Publishing Company. Further Information: Please contact the instructor, Mary Flahive: flahive@math.orst.edu or 737-5146.