Introduction to field theory, emphasizing the structure of finite fields, primitive elements and irreducible polynomials. The influence of computational problems will be considered. Theory and applications of error-correcting codes: algebraic codes, convolution codes, decoding algorithms, and analysis of code performance. Prerequisite(s): MATH 2100, or MATH 3101 or MATH 2108 or equivalent; or permission of the School.Lectures three hours a week.