Introduction to Plane Algebraic Curves [Paperback]

* 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

* Preface * Conventions and Notation * Part I: Plane Algebraic Curves * Affine Algebraic Curves * Projective Algebraic Curves * The Coordinate Ring of an Algebraic Curve and the Intersections of Two Curves * Rational Functions on Algebraic Curves * Intersection Multiplicity and Intersection Cycle of Two Curves * Regular and Singular Points of Algebraic Curves. Tangents * More on Intersection Theory. Applications * Rational Maps. Parametric Representations of Curves * Polars and Hessians of Algebraic Curves * Elliptic Curves * Residue Calculus * Applications of Residue Theory to Curves * The RiemannRoch Theorem * The Genus of an Algebraic Curve and of its Function Field * The Canonical Divisor Class * The Branches of a Curve Singularity * Conductor and Value Semigroup of a Curve Singularity * Part II: Algebraic Foundations * Algebraic Foundations * Graded Algebras and Modules * Filtered Algebras * Rings of Quotients. Localization * The Chinese Remainder Theorem * Noetherian Local Rings and Discrete l3;