Over the last 50 years there have been an increasing number of applications of algebraic tools to solve problems in communications, in particular in the fields of error-control codes and cryptography. More recently, broader applications have emerged, requiring quite sophisticated algebra - for example, the Alamouti scheme in MIMO communications is just Hamilton's quaternions in disguise and has spawned the use of PhD-level algebra to produce generalizations. Likewise, in the absence of credible alternatives, the industry has in many cases been forced to adopt elliptic curve cryptography. In...