Modern Mathematics: Discrete Methods

This is the second part of a theoretical (proof-based) sequence with a focus on discrete mathematics. The central objects discussed in this course are finite fields. These are beautiful structures in themselves, and very useful in large areas of modern mathematics, and beyond. Our goal will be to construct these, understand their structure, and along the way discuss unexpected applications in combinatorics and number theory. Highlights of the course include a complete proof of a polynomial time algorithm for primality testing, Sidon sets and finite projective planes, and an understanding of a lovely magic trick due to Persi Diaconis. Prerequisite: Math 61DM or 61CM.