The Ontario conference drew workers from theoretical, applied, and algorithm finite field theory to share their recent findings applying finite fields to such areas as number theory, algebra, and algebraic geometry. The 21 topics include actions of linearized polynomials on the algebraic closure of a finite field, kernels and defaults, computing zeta functions over finite fields, and the state complexity of some long codes. No index. Member prices are $39 for institutions and $29 for individuals. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Because of their applications in so many diverse areas, finite fields continue to play increasingly important roles in various branches of modern mathematics, including number theory, algebra, and algebraic geometry, as well as in computer science, information theory, statistics, and engineering. Computational and algorithmic aspects of finite field problems also continue to grow in importance. This volume contains the refereed proceedings of a conference entitled Finite Fields: Theory, Applications and Algorithms, held in August 1993 at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Among the topics treated are theoretical aspects of finite fields, coding theory, cryptology, combinatorial design theory, and algorithms related to finite fields. Also included is a list of open problems and conjectures. This volume is an excellent reference for applied and research mathematicians as well as specialists and graduate students in information theory, computer science, and electrical engineering.

This volume represents the refereed proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Finite Fields and Applications (F q5) held at the University of Augsburg (Germany) from August 2-6, 1999, and hosted by the Department of Mathematics. The conference continued a series of biennial international conferences on finite fields, following earlier conferences at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (USA) in August 1991 and August 1993, the University ofGlasgow (Scotland) in July 1995, and the University ofWaterloo (Canada) in August 1997. The Organizing Committee of F q5 comprised Thomas Beth (University ofKarlsruhe), Stephen D. Cohen (University of Glasgow), Dieter Jungnickel (University of Augsburg, Chairman), Alfred Menezes (University of Waterloo), Gary L. Mullen (Pennsylvania State University), Ronald C. Mullin (University of Waterloo), Harald Niederreiter (Austrian Academy of Sciences), and Alexander Pott (University of Magdeburg). The program ofthe conference consisted offour full days and one halfday ofsessions, with 11 invited plenary talks andover80contributedtalks that re- quired three parallel sessions. This documents the steadily increasing interest in finite fields and their applications. Finite fields have an inherently fasci- nating structure and they are important tools in discrete mathematics. Their applications range from combinatorial design theory, finite geometries, and algebraic geometry to coding theory, cryptology, and scientific computing. A particularly fruitful aspect is the interplay between theory and applications which has led to many new perspectives in research on finite fields.

This book is mainly devoted to some computational and algorithmic problems in finite fields such as, for example, polynomial factorization, finding irreducible and primitive polynomials, the distribution of these primitive polynomials and of primitive points on elliptic curves, constructing bases of various types and new applications of finite fields to other areas of mathematics. For completeness we in clude two special chapters on some recent advances and applications of the theory of congruences (optimal coefficients, congruential pseudo-random number gener ators, modular arithmetic, etc.) and computational number theory (primality testing, factoring integers, computation in algebraic number theory, etc.). The problems considered here have many applications in Computer Science, Cod ing Theory, Cryptography, Numerical Methods, and so on. There are a few books devoted to more general questions, but the results contained in this book have not till now been collected under one cover. In the present work the author has attempted to point out new links among different areas of the theory of finite fields. It contains many very important results which previously could be found only in widely scattered and hardly available conference proceedings and journals. In particular, we extensively review results which originally appeared only in Russian, and are not well known to mathematicians outside the former USSR.

Thisvolumerepresentstherefereedproceedingsofthe7thInternationalC- ference on Finite Fields and Applications (F 7) held during May 5-9, q 2003, in Toulouse, France. The conference was hosted by the Pierre Baudis C- gress Center, downtown, and held at the excellent conference facility. This event continued a series of biennial international conferences on Finite Fields and - plications, following earlier meetings at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (USA) in August 1991 and August 1993, the University of Glasgow (UK) in July 1995, the University of Waterloo (Canada) in August 1997, the Univ- sity of Augsburg (Germany) in August 1999, and the Universidad Aut ́ onoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, in Oaxaca (Mexico) in 2001. The Organizing Committee of F 7 consisted of Claude Carlet (INRIA, Paris, q France), Dieter Jungnickel (University of Augsburg, Germany), Gary Mullen (Pennsylvania State University, USA), Harald Niederreiter (National University of Singapore, Singapore), Alain Poli, Chair (Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France), Henning Stichtenoth (Essen University, Germany), and Horacio Tapia- Recillas (Universidad Aut ́ onoma Metropolitan-Iztapalapa, Mexico). The program of the conference consisted of four full days and one half day of sessions, with eight invited plenary talks, and close to 60 contributed talks.

Poised to become the leading reference in the field, the Handbook of Finite Fields is exclusively devoted to the theory and applications of finite fields. More than 80 international contributors compile state-of-the-art research in this definitive handbook. Edited by two renowned researchers, the book uses a uniform style and format throughout and

Volume 1.

This monograph provides a self-contained presentation of the foundations of finite fields, including a detailed treatment of their algebraic closures. It also covers important advanced topics which are not yet found in textbooks: the primitive normal basis theorem, the existence of primitive elements in affine hyperplanes, and the Niederreiter method for factoring polynomials over finite fields. We give streamlined and/or clearer proofs for many fundamental results and treat some classical material in an innovative manner. In particular, we emphasize the interplay between arithmetical and structural results, and we introduce Berlekamp algebras in a novel way which provides a deeper understanding of Berlekamp's celebrated factorization algorithm. The book provides a thorough grounding in finite field theory for graduate students and researchers in mathematics. In view of its emphasis on applicable and computational aspects, it is also useful for readers working in information and communication engineering, for instance, in signal processing, coding theory, cryptography or computer science.

This work brings together two streams in computer algebra: symbolic integration and summation on the one hand, and fast algorithmics on the other hand. In many algorithmically oriented areas of computer science, theanalysisof- gorithms–placedintothe limelightbyDonKnuth’stalkat the 1970ICM –provides a crystal-clear criterion for success. The researcher who designs an algorithmthat is faster (asymptotically, in the worst case) than any previous method receives instant grati?cation: her result will be recognized as valuable. Alas, the downside is that such results come along quite infrequently, despite our best efforts. An alternative evaluation method is to run a new algorithm on examples; this has its obvious problems, but is sometimes the best we can do. George Collins, one of the fathers of computer algebra and a great experimenter,wrote in 1969: “I think this demonstrates again that a simple analysis is often more revealing than a ream of empirical data (although both are important). ” Within computer algebra, some areas have traditionally followed the former methodology, notably some parts of polynomial algebra and linear algebra. Other areas, such as polynomial system solving, have not yet been amenable to this - proach. The usual “input size” parameters of computer science seem inadequate, and although some natural “geometric” parameters have been identi?ed (solution dimension, regularity), not all (potential) major progress can be expressed in this framework. Symbolic integration and summation have been in a similar state.

The book is devoted to the theory of algebraic geometric codes, a subject formed on the border of several domains of mathematics. On one side there are such classical areas as algebraic geometry and number theory; on the other, information transmission theory, combinatorics, finite geometries, dense packings, etc. The authors give a unique perspective on the subject. Whereas most books on coding theory build up coding theory from within, starting from elementary concepts and almost always finishing without reaching a certain depth, this book constantly looks for interpretations that connect coding theory to algebraic geometry and number theory. There are no prerequisites other than a standard algebra graduate course. The first two chapters of the book can serve as an introduction to coding theory and algebraic geometry respectively. Special attention is given to the geometry of curves over finite fields in the third chapter. Finally, in the last chapter the authors explain relations between all of these: the theory of algebraic geometric codes.