Course Title: Algebraic Coding and Decoding

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Algebraic Coding and Decoding

Credit Points: 12.00


Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

INTE1126

City Campus

Postgraduate

145H Mathematical & Geospatial Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2006

INTE2091

City Campus

Undergraduate

145H Mathematical & Geospatial Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2006

Course Coordinator: Professor Kathy Horadam

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2752

Course Coordinator Email: kathy.horadam@rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

INTE1124 Coding for Reliable Communications is a pre-requisite for this course. This is an elective course that builds on the introduction presented in the above course, giving a more in-depth mathematical study of error-correction coding, in particular modern-day decoding techniques.


Course Description

This is an advanced sequel to INTE1124. You will gain a thorough background in higher algebra to study practically relevant codes like cyclic, BCH and convolutional codes. Discrete mathematical structures will be used to decode these codes. The state of the art decoders used in computer networks and computer communications will be considered. Some practical applications related to these topics will also be covered.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This elective will build on the knowledge acquired in the core course, Coding for Reliable Communications.

This course will enable you to acquire a practical overview of more of the issues involved in the field of information security and assurance and will contribute to a further understanding of the practice of IS, especially in evaluation of information security risks across diverse settings including the Internet and WWW based commerce systems, high bandwidth digital communications and funds transfer services. In addition you will start to appreciate the use of ethical considerations in all judgments and decisions in academic and professional settings.

 


On completion of this course, you should be able to:
• Apply the knowledge and skills obtained to study further concepts in Information Security; and
• Communicate and interpret ideas related to algebraic coding in Information Security applications.

Specific objectives include the ability to:
1. Identify the appropriate finite field required for describing a given code.
2. Utilize polynomial factorization for design and analysis of cyclic codes.
3. Quantify the performance of cyclic codes using BCH, Roos bounds etc.
4. Obtain the Transform with the right parameters for encoding and decoding.
5. Use designs and orthogonal arrays for constructing primitives such as hash functions, resilient functions, and all-or-nothing transforms.
6. Understand the use of algebraic primitives in designing zero-knowledge proofs and other distributed protocols, and their use in identification and authentication.

 


Overview of Learning Activities

A variety of planned student learning experiences will be used to cater for the learning outcomes envisaged for this course. This includes seminars, group discussions, and laboratory based learning experiences. The seminar format will be used to give an overview of the specified study area and to direct you to foundational, analytical, and evidence-based readings about the advances in coding theory and its place in Information Security. Facilitated open discussions in the seminar context will draw on your capacity to solve problems and to think critically and analytically.


Overview of Learning Resources

You will be expected to expand on the subject matter provided as lecture notes in class. This will take the form of accessing various external and internal resources, such as the library and the Internet. References to books, including text and reference books will be provided in class. The Internet will be the most important source for academic, technical and white papers and you will be required to use this as a learning resource on a regular basis. In addition your classmates and tutor/lecturer are also important learning resources as will be demonstrated by the facilitated seminars and discussions.

Appropriate references, to be accessed from the library or elsewhere, will be used in this course.
 


Overview of Assessment

Individual and group activities, such as in-semester assessments, will be used to provide you with on going feedback. An end-of-semester examination, will complement this aspect of the work.

In-semester assessments may take the form of homework assignments, supervised class tests and/or computer-based project work. Presentation of project work may also form part of the assessment. The assessments will reinforce the material covered in lectures and in your personal study. Your capacity to solve problems and to think critically and analytically will also be addressed through problems presented in lectures and facilitated seminars. Emphasis will be placed on individual assignments and you will be expected to understand the plagiarism policy enforced at RMIT.

The final examination will test the students’ comprehension of the subject material and their ability to apply this understanding to real world problems.