Course Syllabus - Fall 2007

From the College Catalog : Error-correcting codes are used to recapture information that has been distorted in some transmission process. Various coding schemes use block codes obtained from algebraic, geometric and combinatorial structures. Topics include: fundamentals of coding theory, linear, Reed-Muller, Golay, cyclic and BCH codes. Prereq: Math 3191.

Text: Vera Pless, Introduction to the Theory of Error-Correcting Codes, 3rd Ed., Wiley Interscience, 1998.

Exams: There will be two exams (midterm and final) - dates below - and it will be highly likely that at least one of them will be a take-home.

Homework: Homework will be assigned from the text and also on handout sheets. Specific assignments will be submitted for grading.

Project: Each student will select a specific code and find an application in which this code is used. A short paper emphasizing the application and addressing the question of why this code was selected for the application is required.

Presentation: A 15-minute presentation to the class on the project topic will be required at the end of the semester.

Grades:

Exams (50%)
Homework (20%)
Project(20%)
In class presentation of project (10%)

Time Table:
DatesText Coverage/Due Dates
8/20 - 8/29Chapter 1: Sections 1.1 - 1.3
9/3 No classes : Labor Day Holiday
9/5 - 10/15Chapters 2,3,4 and 5
10/17Midterm Exam - Covers Chapters 1 thru 5
10/20 - 11/26Chapters 6,7 and topics
11/19 - 11/21 No Classes : Thanksgiving Week Break
11/26Projects Due
12/3 - 12/5Student Presentations
12/10 or 12 Final Exam

Syllabus: We shall cover the first 7 chapters of the text and selected topics from the last three chapters, as well as some material not found in the text.

Note: Any and all of the above is open to negotiation.

CLAS Policies and Important Dates

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