Eighth Algorithmic Number Theory Symposium ANTS-VIII

Rose-Hulman Institute Of Technology, Terre Haute IN

Investigators

Abstract

The first Algorithmic Number Theory Symposium took place in May 1994 at Cornell University. In the preface to its proceedings, the organizers expressed the hope that the meeting would be "the first in a long series of international conferences on the algorithmic, computational, and complexity theoretic aspects of number theory." Since then, ANTS has been held bi-annually at varying locations all around the globe. The present meeting, ANTS-VIII, is scheduled to be held May 17-22, 2008 at the Banff Centre in Banff Alberta, Canada. The ANTS meetings are devoted to algorithmic and computational aspects of number theory, including elementary, algebraic, and analytic number theory, geometry of numbers, algebraic geometry, finite fields, and cryptography. There has been a surge of activity in number theory over the last 10-15 years, with major results in the areas of algebraic, arithmetic and analytic number theory. Many of these have additional significance due to their applications in areas such as coding theory and cryptography. The algorithmic side of number theory in particular has seen a great deal of progress in the last decade, including advances in such deep problems as integer factorization, the discrete logarithm problem in various settings, point counting on algebraic curves, and the computation of invariants of global fields. These and other related questions represent the subject of intense ongoing research, much of which is published in the ANTS proceedings. The aim of ANTS is to bring together leading experts in the field as well as young researchers and graduate students for the purpose of exchanging ideas and presenting their work. Research presented at ANTS meetings and appearing in ANTS proceedings has spawned important advances in algorithmic number theory. ANTS conferences, including ANTS-VIII in 2008, will continue to have a major positive impact and lead to significant progress in the field. The conference is geared toward researchers with some expertise in algorithmic number theory. Participants include senior and junior academics, members of government and corporate research facilities, and graduate students. The conference program will consist of five invited plenary talks and an expected 30-35 presentations by those researchers whose papers have been accepted for publication in the proceedings. This proposal seeks funds to support the travel and local expenses of about 7 conference participants who are US citizens or permanent residents. It is expected that participants who apply for NSF funding will give a presentation (a talk or poster) at the conference. Participants supported by this grant have not yet been chosen, but will be selected by the organizing committee based on applications which will be solicited as part of the registration process. Selection criteria will favor postdocs, graduate students, and faculty (especially junior faculty) without grant support, in essentially that order.