Instructor: Rami Grossberg
Office: WEH 7204
Phone: x8482 (268-8482 from external lines), messages at
x2545
Email: Rami@cmu.edu
URL:
www.math.cmu.edu/~rami
Office Hours: Immediately after class or by appointment.
Purpose. Field theory has central importnace
in several branches of modern mathematics among them are: Number theory,
geometry and algebra. In recent years field theory
and algebraic number theory found increasing role in theoretical computer
science especially in connections with complexity theory and cryptography.
The goal of this course is to provide a successor to
Algebraic Structures (21-373), with an emphasis on applications of
groups, rings, and fields within algebra to some major classical
problems. These include constructions with a ruler and compass, and
(un)Ęsolvability of equations by radicals. It also offers an opportunity
to see group theory and basic ring theory "in action", and introduces
several powerful number theoretic techniques.
The basic ideas and methods required to study finite fields will also be
introduced, these have recently been applied in a number of areas of
theoretical computer science including primality testing and
cryptography.
Course description. We will start with a review of ring theory.
Definitions and examples, field extensions, adjunction of roots,
algebraic numbers, dimension formula, constructions with ruler and
compass (it is impossible to trisect an arbitrary angle, and it is
impossible to duplicate the cube), splitting fields, existence (and
uniqueness) of algebraic closure, symmetric polynomials, Galois groups,
Galois extensions, the Galois correspondence theorem for characteristics
0, permutations and simplicity of An, unsolvability by radicals of the
general quintic, characterization of finite fields (and their
multiplicative groups), Wedderburn's theorem (optional), transcendental
extensions, Steinitz's theorem on trascendence degree.
Text: "Abstract Algebra" by D. S. Dummit & R. M. Foote. 3rd
edition Published by John Wiley & Sons, 2003.
price comparison.
Test Dates:
Will be held on Monday March first.
Evaluation: There will be two one hour tests (in class), weekly homework
assignments, and a three hour final. These will be weighted as
follows:
Prerequisites. Algebraic Structures or Math Studies.
Rami's home page.
Last modified: February 18th, 2004 |