Numbers & Codes
Mathematics Summer School, 29–30 June, 2000
supporting
Department of Mathematics
Numbers & Codes
Mathematics Summer School, 29–30 June, 2000
supporting
STOP PRESS: Professor Sir Andrew Wiles, FRS, will be speaking at this Summer School
Number theory has in the past been considered
to be the purest of pure mathematics. For many the subject still has a
fascination just for its own sake, and the recent solution of the famous
Fermat’s Last Theorem has been a source of increased interest in
number theory. In addition, in recent years there have also emerged some
significant applications. Among these are cryptography, error correcting
codes and various other kinds of coding, and these in turn have important
uses in computer security and for electronic signatures. This course aims to demonstrate the beauty of pure mathematics and
the elegance of many of the results and proofs in the subject. The
talks will present some accessible topics in number theory. British
number theorists are among the world leaders in the subject and
lectures will be given by mathematicians both from within the
University of London and from the country at large. There will also
be accounts of some of the exciting applications and these will show
the usefulness of mathematics outside the traditional range of
applications to the physical sciences.
The programme for this Summer School will include: Dr Simon Singh: Anonymous heroes of cryptography Professor F C Piper: An introduction to cryptography Professor R Hill: Error correcting codes Professor Michael Walker: Authentication, information and
numbers Dr A Hodges: Alan Turing and the Enigma Dr Richard Pinch: How to share a secret Dr D J Burns: Prime numbers Professor Martin Taylor FRS: Fermat's last theorem The programme will also include workshops on puzzles and problems
in number theory and applications.
This Summer School is for A-level mathematics students and their
teachers. Attendance is free of charge. To register contact:
Mrs Patricia Evans, Senate House (Room 229), University of London,
Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. Telephone 020 7862 8034. Limited accommodation is available for Wednesday and Thursday night,
28 & 29 June, free to bona-fide A-level mathematics students who
live beyond commuting distance. For details, contact Miss Hilary Morton,
Department of Mathematics, King’s College, Strand, London WC2R 2LS.
Telephone 020 7848 2216. Email
maths@kcl.ac.uk
Simon Singh obtained his PhD in physics from Cambridge. He
directed and co-produced the BAFTA award-winning BBC Horizon documentary
Fermat’s Last Theorem, and wrote a No.1 best-seller with
the same title. His new book is called The Code Book.
Professor Fred Piper is from the Department of Mathematics
and is Head of the Information and Security Group at Royal Holloway
College, University of London.
Professor Ray Hill is the author of a widely used undergraduate
textbook on coding theory and many research papers on combinatorics,
coding theory, and finite geometry. He is Professor of Mathematics at
Salford University.
Professor Walker is head of research at Vodafone. He also
holds the Chair of Telecommunications at Royal Holloway.
Andrew Hodges is a research worker in Oxford and the author
of a biography of Alan Turing.
Richard Pinch is a number theorist who worked in Cambridge
University for many years before moving to GCHQ where he now applies
his theoretical work.
David Burns is a Reader in Mathematics at King’s. He is one of
Britain’s young stars in number theory and was recently awarded the
prestigious Whitehead Prize for his research.
Martin Taylor obtained his PhD from King’s, and is now a
Professor at UMIST. He is President of the London Mathematical Society.
The puzzles, problems, and their solutions are now available
here
.