Re: [Axiom-developer]for teachers

I have been using Axiom (and also Maxima) this semester for a class in
cryptography.  This subject covers public-key cryptography (RSA, Rabin, El
Gamal) and signature schemes, secret key cryptography (in particular DES and
AES), hash functions, and all the necessary mathematics - mainly number
theory and finite fields.  The students who have chosen Axiom have taken
well to it.

If anyone wants to see how I've managed this subject, go to
http://suzuki.vu.edu.au/moodle2, and login as a guest to the subject
RCM3720/6812, using the login key "C1PHER". (The second character is the
numeral "one").

The subject only has two more weeks to run, but if you are interested, the
lectures are broadcast from our Access Grid Room - you can watch me in real
time if you have the requisite software (which is free).

cheers,
Alasdair

On 04 Oct 2007 22:15:19 +0200, Francois Maltey <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Hello Bill, Hello Alasdair,
>
> Sometime we exchange about use of axiom in a classroom.
>
> Let me send as a private mail my point of view about this feature.
>
> This feature of axiom had sens in the paste as a special case which
> save memory or CPU time, or for good developper with its tricks.
> But in the finite time of a mathematical course I can't explain
> a such separate case.
>
> A CAS system might be perfect about mathematical result.
> I saw a lot of misunderstandig with maple and its
> 0 * 0.0 = 0 but 1 * 0.0 = 0.0
>
> > > When I test linear algebra I noticed that nullSpace return a basis
> > > of the kernel, it's right, but I expect an empty list when the
> > > matrix is inversible.
> > >
> > > The documentation of axiom announces it's the null vector in this
> > > case.  So it isnot a bug... but I think it's a silly feature
> > > because it becomes impossible to get the dimension by the length
> > > function.
> >
> > I think you are right.  In fact, the user doc says it returns a
> > basis, only the internal doc says what you mentioned.  The
> > modification would be trivial, only, it might break something...
>
> The use of nullity doesn't seem right for this purpose, the aim of
> such naive computations is to compare how to compute the rank. My
> students test one functions, and an other, and so.
>
> And I don't see how to improve axiom for educational purpose.
>
> Have a nice day !
>
> François (in France)
>

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