Algebraic Function Fields and Codes [Paperback]

This book links two subjects: algebraic geometry and coding theory. It uses a novel approach based on the theory of algebraic function fields. Coverage includes the Riemann-Rock theorem, zeta functions and Hasse-Weil's theorem as well as Goppa' s algebraic-geometric codes and other traditional codes. It will be useful to researchers in algebraic geometry and coding theory and computer scientists and engineers in information transmission.

This is an expanded edition of a popular textbook that provides a purely algebraic, self-contained and in-depth exposition of the theory of function fields. It contains numerous exercises, some fairly simple, some quite difficult.

15 years after the ?rst printing of Algebraic Function Fields and Codes,the mathematics editors of Springer Verlag encouraged me to revise and extend the book. Besides numerous minor corrections and amendments, the second edition di?ers from the ?rst one in two respects. Firstly I have included a series of exercises at the end of each chapter. Some of these exercises are fairly easy and should help the reader to understand the basic concepts, others are more advanced and cover additional material. Secondly a new chapter titled Asymptotic Bounds for the Number of Rational Places has been added. This chapter contains a detailed presentation of the asymptotic theory of function ?elds over ?nite ?elds, including the explicit construction of some asymptotically good and optimal towers. Based on these towers, a complete and self-contained proof of the Tsfasman-Vladut-Zink Theorem is given. This theorem is perhaps the most beautiful application of function ?elds to coding theory. The codes which are constructed from algebraic function ?elds were ?rst introduced by V. D. Goppa. Accordingly I referred to them in the ?rst edition as geometric Goppa codes. Since this terminology has not generally been - cepted in the literature, I now use the more common term algebraic geometry cl3Ä