MAS 6396
ADVANCED TOPICS: ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRY AND ELLIPTIC CURVES
Spring 2009

Instructor: Amod Agashe Email: agashe@math.fsu.edu
Office: 216 LOV Phone: 644-8704
Web page: http://www.math.fsu.edu/~agashe/agec.html
Office Hours: To be announced.

Recommended text. Silverman, The arithmetic of elliptic curves.
Course Content. This course is motivated by the topic of elliptic curves, especially from the point of view of algebraic geometry. We will start by doing a quick overview of the theory of elliptic curves, from various aspsects, including the complex analytic viewpoint and applications to cryptography. Then we shall cover some of the algebraic geometry that we shall need, including non-singular curves, divisors, differentials, Riemann-Roch theorem, etc. (all for varieties), and discuss some of the finer theory of elliptic curves. If time permits, we will also discuss the topics of the previous sentence from the viewpoint of schemes, including sheaf cohomology and Serre duality, which implies the Riemann-Roch theorem. The prerequisite for this course is a basic graduate algebra sequence such as GRV I and II. For the scheme-theoretic part (if we get to it), the prerequisite is either the Algebraic geometry course taught in Fall 2008 or permission of the instructor.
Grading. The grade will be based on homeworks and class attendance.
Honor Code. The Academic Honor System at The Florida State University is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility 1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, 2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, and 3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community. A copy of the University Academic Honor Code can be found in the current Student Handbook and you are bound by it in all your academic work.
American Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC), and bring a letter from the SDRC to the instructor indicating their needs.This should be done within the first week of class.