The central problem considered in this introduction for graduate students is the determination of rational parametrizability of an algebraic curve and, in the positive case, the computation of a good rational parametrization. This amounts to determining the genus of a curve: its complete singularity structure, computing regular points of the curve in small coordinate fields, and constructing linear systems of curves with prescribed intersection multiplicities. The book discusses various optimality criteria for rational parametrizations of algebraic curves.

The geometry of curves has fascinated mathematicians for 2500 years, and the theory has become highly abstract. Recently links have been made with the subject of error correction, leading to the creation of geometric Goppa codes, a new and important area of coding theory. This book is an updated and extended version of the last part of the successful book Error-Correcting Codes and Finite Fields. It provides an elementary introduction to Goppa codes, and includes many examples, calculations, and applications. The book is in two parts with an emphasis on motivation, and applications of the theory take precedence over proofs of theorems. The formal theory is, however, provided in the second part of the book, and several of the concepts and proofs have been simplified without sacrificing rigour.

This development of the theory of complex algebraic curves was one of the peaks of nineteenth century mathematics. They have many fascinating properties and arise in various areas of mathematics, from number theory to theoretical physics, and are the subject of much research. By using only the basic techniques acquired in most undergraduate courses in mathematics, Dr. Kirwan introduces the theory, observes the algebraic and topological properties of complex algebraic curves, and shows how they are related to complex analysis.

* Employs proven conception of teaching topics in commutative algebra through a focus on their applications to algebraic geometry, a significant departure from other works on plane algebraic curves in which the topological-analytic aspects are stressed *Requires only a basic knowledge of algebra, with all necessary algebraic facts collected into several appendices * Studies algebraic curves over an algebraically closed field K and those of prime characteristic, which can be applied to coding theory and cryptography * Covers filtered algebras, the associated graded rings and Rees rings to deduce basic facts about intersection theory of plane curves, applications of which are standard tools of computer algebra * Examples, exercises, figures and suggestions for further study round out this fairly self-contained textbook

This volume contains a collection of papers on algebraic curves and their applications. While algebraic curves traditionally have provided a path toward modern algebraic geometry, they also provide many applications in number theory, computer security and cryptography, coding theory, differential equations, and more. Papers cover topics such as the rational torsion points of elliptic curves, arithmetic statistics in the moduli space of curves, combinatorial descriptions of semistable hyperelliptic curves over local fields, heights on weighted projective spaces, automorphism groups of curves, hyperelliptic curves, dessins d'enfants, applications to Painlevé equations, descent on real algebraic varieties, quadratic residue codes based on hyperelliptic curves, and Abelian varieties and cryptography. This book will be a valuable resource for people interested in algebraic curves and their connections to other branches of mathematics.

This book provides an accessible and self-contained introduction to the theory of algebraic curves over a finite field, a subject that has been of fundamental importance to mathematics for many years and that has essential applications in areas such as finite geometry, number theory, error-correcting codes, and cryptology. Unlike other books, this one emphasizes the algebraic geometry rather than the function field approach to algebraic curves. The authors begin by developing the general theory of curves over any field, highlighting peculiarities occurring for positive characteristic and requiring of the reader only basic knowledge of algebra and geometry. The special properties that a curve over a finite field can have are then discussed. The geometrical theory of linear series is used to find estimates for the number of rational points on a curve, following the theory of Stöhr and Voloch. The approach of Hasse and Weil via zeta functions is explained, and then attention turns to more advanced results: a state-of-the-art introduction to maximal curves over finite fields is provided; a comprehensive account is given of the automorphism group of a curve; and some applications to coding theory and finite geometry are described. The book includes many examples and exercises. It is an indispensable resource for researchers and the ideal textbook for graduate students.

An accessible introduction to plane algebraic curves that also serves as a natural entry point to algebraic geometry.

Vertex algebras are algebraic objects that encapsulate the concept of operator product expansion from two-dimensional conformal field theory. Vertex algebras are fast becoming ubiquitous in many areas of modern mathematics, with applications to representation theory, algebraic geometry, the theory of finite groups, modular functions, topology, integrable systems, and combinatorics. This book is an introduction to the theory of vertex algebras with a particular emphasis on the relationship with the geometry of algebraic curves. The notion of a vertex algebra is introduced in a coordinate-independent way, so that vertex operators become well defined on arbitrary smooth algebraic curves, possibly equipped with additional data, such as a vector bundle. Vertex algebras then appear as the algebraic objects encoding the geometric structure of various moduli spaces associated with algebraic curves. Therefore they may be used to give a geometric interpretation of various questions of representation theory. The book contains many original results, introduces important new concepts, and brings new insights into the theory of vertex algebras. The authors have made a great effort to make the book self-contained and accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Reviewers of the first edition anticipated that it would have a long-lasting influence on this exciting field of mathematics and would be very useful for graduate students and researchers interested in the subject. This second edition, substantially improved and expanded, includes several new topics, in particular an introduction to the Beilinson-Drinfeld theory of factorization algebras and the geometric Langlands correspondence.

Algebra and number theory have always been counted among the most beautiful and fundamental mathematical areas with deep proofs and elegant results. However, for a long time they were not considered of any substantial importance for real-life applications. This has dramatically changed with the appearance of new topics such as modern cryptography, coding theory, and wireless communication. Nowadays we find applications of algebra and number theory frequently in our daily life. We mention security and error detection for internet banking, check digit systems and the bar code, GPS and radar systems, pricing options at a stock market, and noise suppression on mobile phones as most common examples. This book collects the results of the workshops "Applications of algebraic curves" and "Applications of finite fields" of the RICAM Special Semester 2013. These workshops brought together the most prominent researchers in the area of finite fields and their applications around the world. They address old and new problems on curves and other aspects of finite fields, with emphasis on their diverse applications to many areas of pure and applied mathematics.

The second volume of the Geometry of Algebraic Curves is devoted to the foundations of the theory of moduli of algebraic curves. Its authors are research mathematicians who have actively participated in the development of the Geometry of Algebraic Curves. The subject is an extremely fertile and active one, both within the mathematical community and at the interface with the theoretical physics community. The approach is unique in its blending of algebro-geometric, complex analytic and topological/combinatorial methods. It treats important topics such as Teichmüller theory, the cellular decomposition of moduli and its consequences and the Witten conjecture. The careful and comprehensive presentation of the material is of value to students who wish to learn the subject and to experts as a reference source. The first volume appeared 1985 as vol. 267 of the same series.