Coding Theory

Error-correcting codes are used to ensure reliable electronic communication in everything from Blue Ray players to deep-space transmission. Cryptographic systems are developed to keep communication secret in everything from e-commerce to military communication. This course develops the mathematics underlying the transmission of messages. In coding theory, we will develop theoretical constraints on codes, construction methods for good codes, and algorithms for encoding and decoding efficiently. In cryptography, we will explore historically important systems as well as modern public-key cryptosystems.