NATO Science for Peace and Security

1 total work

Higher-dimensional Geometry Over Finite Fields

Published 1 January 2008

Number systems based on a finite collection of symbols, such as the 0s and 1s of computer circuitry, are ubiquitous in the modern age. Finite fields are the most important number systems, playing a vital role in military and civilian communications through coding theory and cryptography. These disciplines have evolved over recent decades, and where once the focus was on algebraic curves over finite fields, recent developments have revealed the increasing importance of higher-dimensional algebraic varieties over finite fields. The papers included in this publication introduce the reader to recent developments in algebraic geometry over finite fields with particular attention to applications of geometric techniques to the study of rational points on varieties over finite fields of dimension of at least 2.