This book provides a gentle introduction to this popular subject. Assuming a background of a first course in abstract algebra, the book covers rings, ideals, quotients and homomorphisms, introduces polynomials, field extensions and splitting fields, gives a description of finite fields, and includes a brief account of the use of such fields in coding theory. It provides a readable, "student-friendly" introduction that takes a more "natural" approach to its subject (compared to the more formal introductions by Stewart and Garling), and that features clear explanations and plenty of worked examples and exercises - with full solutions - to encourage independent study.

Klappentext

A modern and student-friendly introduction to this popular subject: it takes a more "natural" approach and develops the theory at a gentle pace with an emphasis on clear explanations

Features plenty of worked examples and exercises, complete with full solutions, to encourage independent study

Previous books by Howie in the SUMS series have attracted excellent reviews

Inhalt

Rings and Fields.- Integral Domains and Polynomials.- Field Extensions.- Applications to Geometry.- Splitting Fields.- Finite Fields.- The Galois Group.- Equations and Groups.- Some Group Theory.- Groups and Equations.- Regular Polygons.- Solutions.