Summer School on Finite Geometry

Finite geometry is a branch of mathematics situated within discrete mathematics and combinatorics, which is concerned with the study of discrete objects using geometric and combinatorial techniques. Typical examples are Galois geometry (the study of objects embedded in projective spaces over finite fields), and finite incidence geometry (axiomatic study of geometries). Foundational work and major contributions can be credited to Beniamino Segre (Galois geometry) and Jacques Tits (Buildings). Finite geometry has strong connections with algebraic coding theory, graph theory, finite group theory, algebraic geometry over finite fields, design theory, finite fields, algebraic combinatorics, and more. Applications are typically found in the theory of error-correcting codes (e.g. MDS codes, MRD codes), and cryptography. With the rapid development of computer algebra systems, research problems in finite geometry are often a combination of a theoretical and a computational approach, and theories/conjectures are usually motivated/supported by computational evidence. The aim of this school is to introduce some of the main concepts in finite geometry, to increase the audience's knowledge of the many results and conjectures, to introduce some techniques available in computer algebra systems to approach problems, to provide an opportunity for PhD students to discuss and share their own projects, and to enable mathematicians in this area to meet and plan scientific collaboration.