This grant supports the research of Professor S. Ashford to work on problems in algebraic number theory. In particular she will concentrate on algorithms for deciding the ramification in quartic number fields. This is research in the field of number theory. Number theory starts with the whole numbers and questions such as the divisibility of one whole number by another. It is among the oldest fields of mathematics and it was originally pursued for purely aesthetic reasons. However, within the last half century, it has become an essential tool in developing new algorithms for computer science and new error correcting codes for electronics.
