Math 342 - 101, Term 1 2010

Algebra, Coding theory and Cryptography

Announcements

Announcements will be posted here from time to time. Please check regularly.

  1. Don't forget there is no class on Sept 7th due to Imagine UBC.
  2. Monday 11th October is Thanksgiving - the university is shut, so there can't be office hours that day.
  3. Midterm details now up!
  4. Midterm: the average was 75% - well above the average for a math majors course that is 68%. Well done! If you scored <50% then please make an appointment to see me.
  5. Homeworks 8 and 9 due on November 18th due to Rememberance Day.
  6. I will be away November 14-19th. Office hours during this time are cancelled and Caleb Cheek will give the lectures.
  7. IMPORTANT: I have just received notification of the closure of University Boulevard from Blanca on Saturday, December 11th, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Buses will turn on Blanca and go to 4th and into the loop. Therefore, please allow extra time to get into campus for our exam.

Lecture details

Lecturer: S van Willigenburg , Math 208, 822-2630, steph at math splotch ubc splotch ca.
Location: TTh 9.30-11.00  Buchanan B213.
Web page: http://www.math.ubc.ca/~steph/342/342.html
Office hours: Mon 10-11am, Thur 4-5pm, and by appointment (not Wednesday).

Course description

This is an introduction to groups, rings and fields with a focus on how these ideas are applied. There will be emphasis both on proof and algorithmic techniques. Topics include modular arithmetic, RSA cryptography, linear codes and group cryptography.  Prerequisite is one of Math 152, Math 221, or Math 223 and one of Math 220, Math 226 or CPSC 121.

Text

Lindsay Childs, A concrete introduction to higher algebra 3rd Ed, Springer-Verlag, ISBN-13: 978-0-387-74527-5.   The text will be supplemented by the RSA paper paper on cryptography and by notes  on error-correcting codes written by Sarah Spence.

Homework

The homework is the most important part of the course as most of your learning will take place while doing it. There will be a weekly homework assignment due on Thursdays in class.  We will not accept late homework except in very unusual circumstances. We will, however, drop the lowest homework grade.

Exams

Midterm, Tuesday 12th October.
Final exam, Saturday 11th December.

Calculators, books, notes etc are not permitted in either exam. Please bring your student ID to both exams.

Please note that there are no make-up or alternate exams, so make sure you do not make travel plans, work plans etc that will conflict.

Grading

Your grade will be based on the homework (10%), the midterm (30 or 40%), and the final (60 or 50%), whichever gives you the best grade.

Since this is a Mathematics Majors course, there is a median grade of around 68% and students will be expected to perform calculations and construct rigorous proofs involving fundamental ideas of the course.

Working together and academic integrity

Homework: We have no objection to collaboration on the homework, provided that it is done in a way that maximizes the benefit of the homework to all people involved. It is our experience that you get Regardless of whether you arrive at solutions in collaboration with others or alone, the paper that you turn in with your name on it should represent your own solutions, written in your own words.

In particular, you may not simply copy someone else's homework and turn it in as your own. Similarly, copying solutions that you might find on the web or from some other source is illegal.

These will all be treated as a violation of UBC's Academic Integrity Code. We take academic integrity very seriously and will follow university procedures in all cases of suspected cheating - disciplinary measures can result in expulsion.

Exams: There is anecdotal evidence that quite a bit of cheating occurs on campus. In an effort to prevent one common form of cheating, we will xerox a random sample of exam books before returning them.

Class etiquette

Use of cell phones (in any manner), laptops, pagers, Blackberries and other electronic devices during class is highly inappropriate and disrespectful to fellow students and the instructor. Chatting with neighbours, even when whispered, is equally unacceptable. If you have a question then please ask the instructor. Arriving late and leaving early is also discouraged. If it happens then please enter/leave the room silently and do not disrupt the other students or instructor.

Assignments

Assignment 1, due Thursday September 16th.
Assignment 2, due Thursday September 23rd.
Assignment 3, due Thursday September 30th.
Assignment 4, due Thursday October 7th.
No homework due October 14th due to midterm.
Assignment 5, due Thursday October 21st.
Assignment 6, due Thursday October 28th.
Assignment 7, due Thursday November 4th.
Assignment 8, due with Homework 9 Thursday November 18th.
Please write up on a separate sheet to Homework 9 for grading purposes.
Assignment 9, due Thursday November 18th.
Assignment 10, due Thursday November 25th.
Assignment 11, due Thursday December 2nd.

Solutions

These are sketches to help you study. Please make sure your solutions include full details and citations.

Assignment 1
Assignment 2
Assignment 3
Assignment 4
Assignment 5
Assignment 6
Assignment 7
Assignment 8
Assignment 9
Assignment 10
Assignment 11


Other handouts

Here are some more study materials I found to help, or might be interesting.

Other useful links