Book 19

This reference book provides the main definitions, theorems and techniques in the theory of Birkhoff interpolation by polynomials. The book begins with an article by G. G. Lorentz that discusses some of the important developments in approximation and interpolation in the last twenty years. It presents all the basic material known at the present time in a unified manner. Topics discussed include; applications of Birkhoff interpolation to approximation theory, quadrature formulas and Chebyshev systems; lacunary interpolation at special knots and an introduction to the theory of Birkhoff interpolation by splines.

Originally published in 1984, the principal objective of this book is to make the general theory of field extensions accessible to any reader with a modest background in groups, rings and vector spaces. Galois theory is generally regarded as one of the central and most beautiful parts of algebra and its creation marked the culmination of investigations by generations of mathematicians on one of the oldest problems in algebra, the solvability of polynomial equations by radicals.

Finite Fields

by Rudolf Lidl and Harald Niederreiter

Published September 1983
The theory of finite fields is a branch of modern algebra that has come to the fore in the last fifty years because of its diverse applications in such areas as combinatorics, coding theory and the mathematical study of switching circuits. This book, the first one devoted entirely to this theory, provides comprehensive coverage of the literature on finite fields and their applications. Extensive bibliographical notes at the end of each chapter give a historical survey of the development of the subject. Worked examples and lists of exercises found throughout the book make it useful as a text for advanced level courses.