Wieb Bosma - Böcker

Computers have stretched the limits of what is possible in mathematics, by giving rise to various fields of mathematical study. Topics discussed in this book include: the analysis of new and traditional algorithms; the creation of new paradigms for implementing computational methods; the viewing of old techniques from a concrete algorithmic vantage point; and others. This text highlights many examples drawn from current activity, ranging from category theory, graph theory and combinatorics, to more classical computational areas, such as group theory and number theory. Many of the papers in the book provide a survey of their topic, as well as a description of present research. Throughout the variety of mathematical and computational fields represented, the emphasis is placed on the common principles and the methods employed.

The appearance of this volume celebrates the ?rst decade of Magma, a new computeralgebrasystemlaunchedattheFirstMagmaConferenceonCom- tational Algebra held at Queen Mary and West?eld College, London, August 1993. This book introduces the reader to the role Magma plays in advanced mathematical research. Each paper examines how the computer can be used to gain insight into either a single problem or a small group of closely related problems. The intention is to present su?cient detail so that a reader can (a), gain insight into the mathematical questions that are the origin of the problems,and(b),developanunderstandingastohowsuchcomputations are speci?edinMagma.Itishopedthatthereaderwillcometoarealisationofthe important rolethatcomputational algebracanplayinmathematical research. Readers not primarily interested in using Magma will easily acquire the skills needed to undertake basic programming in Magma, while experienced Magma users can learn both mathematics and advanced computational methods in areas related to their own. The core of the volume comprises 14 papers. The authors were invited to submit articles on designated topics and these articles were then reviewed by referees. Although by no means exhaustive, the topics range over a consid- ablepartofMagma’scoverageofalgorithmicalgebra:fromnumbertheoryand algebraicgeometry,viarepresentationtheoryandcomputationalgrouptheory to some branches of discrete mathematics and graph theory. The papers are preceded by an outline of the Magma project, a brief summary of the papers and some instructions on reading the Magma code. A basic introduction to the Magma language is given in an appendix. Theeditorsexpresstheirgratitudetothecontributorstothisvolume,both for the work put into producing the papers and for theirpatience.

The fourth Algorithmic Number Theory Symposium takes place at the U- versiteit Leiden, in the Netherlands, from July 2-7, 2000. Its organization is a joint e?ort of Dutch number theorists from Leiden, Groningen, Nijmegen, and Amsterdam. Sixinvitedtalksand36contributedtalksarescheduled. Thisvolumecontains the written versions of the talks, with the exception of two of the invited talks. Not included are: A rational approach to? by Frits Beukers (Utrecht) and The 40 trillionth binary digit of? is 0 by Peter Borwein (Burnaby, Canada). These talksare aimed at a wider audience, and formpart of thespecial ANTS IV event Pi in de Pieterskerk on July 5, 2000. This event includes an evening ceremony in which the tombstone of Ludolph van Ceulen is replaced. Van Ceulen, who was appointed to Leiden in 1600, calculated 35 decimals of?.Histombstonein the Pieterskerk, in which these decimals were engraved, disappeared in the 19th century. ANTS in Leiden is the fourth in a series of symposia that started in 1994. Previous locations were Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (1994), Universit' e de Bordeaux I in Bordeaux, France (1996), and Reed College, Portland, Oregon (1998).The diversity of the papers contained in this volume shows that the maintheme of ANTS, algorithmicnumber theory, istaken ina broadsense. The number of submissions for the Leiden conference largely exceeded the physical limitationsof ourone-week schedule. Weare therefore con?dent thatwe areonly at the beginning of a continuing tradition.

The appearance of this volume celebrates the ?rst decade of Magma, a new computeralgebrasystemlaunchedattheFirstMagmaConferenceonCom- tational Algebra held at Queen Mary and West?eld College, London, August 1993. This book introduces the reader to the role Magma plays in advanced mathematical research. Each paper examines how the computer can be used to gain insight into either a single problem or a small group of closely related problems. The intention is to present su?cient detail so that a reader can (a), gain insight into the mathematical questions that are the origin of the problems,and(b),developanunderstandingastohowsuchcomputations are speci?edinMagma.Itishopedthatthereaderwillcometoarealisationofthe important rolethatcomputational algebracanplayinmathematical research. Readers not primarily interested in using Magma will easily acquire the skills needed to undertake basic programming in Magma, while experienced Magma users can learn both mathematics and advanced computational methods in areas related to their own. The core of the volume comprises 14 papers. The authors were invited to submit articles on designated topics and these articles were then reviewed by referees. Although by no means exhaustive, the topics range over a consid- ablepartofMagma’scoverageofalgorithmicalgebra:fromnumbertheoryand algebraicgeometry,viarepresentationtheoryandcomputationalgrouptheory to some branches of discrete mathematics and graph theory. The papers are preceded by an outline of the Magma project, a brief summary of the papers and some instructions on reading the Magma code. A basic introduction to the Magma language is given in an appendix. Theeditorsexpresstheirgratitudetothecontributorstothisvolume,both for the work put into producing the papers and for theirpatience.