Math 98
Fall 1997, 10A
Coding and Information Theory
Our Mascot - Bob
Our Motto
"But let your communication be yea, yea; Nay, nay;
For whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."
-- Matthew 5:37, Bob 1946
Course Description
The mathematical guts of the World Wide Web and the Internet
come from the entwined subjects of coding theory and information theory.
At the most basic level digital communication ships packets of 0's and
1's across wires and through the air and we (mathematicians) are confronted
with questions like "What are the best ways to encode these strings
of 0's and 1's to ensure communication that is (1) reliable, (2) efficient
and (3) private? What are the limitations to achieving these goals?"
We'll mainly look at the issues of reliablity and efficiency. The tools
that we bring to bear on these problems come from coding and information
theory. The mathematics we'll need are some basic discrete probability
theory and a little basic algebra (modular arithmetic, possibly a little
group theory). To some degree, this background will be developed along
the way.
Organization: 214 Sudikoff
10
A (MWF, 10:00 - 11:05, x-hour ******)
Texts: Coding and Information Theory, S. Roman
Information
Theory, S. Pierce
Coding
and Information Theory, C. Shannon and W. Weaver
Coding
and Information Theory, D.J.C. Mackay
Semaphore alphabet
Course
organization
Syllabus
and homework assignments
Diaries
and solutions
Project ideas
Reserve books
Office: 206 Sudikoff
E-mail: rockmore@cs.dartmouth.edu
Phone: 603-646-3260
Office hours:
3:00-4:00 Monday
3:00-4:00 Wednesday
or by appointment.
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth Mathematics
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