Welcome to Robert Lax's Home Page
Vital Info
Robert F. Lax, Professor
380 Lockett Hall
Department of Mathematics
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4918
Voice: (225)-578-1571
FAX: (225)-578-4276
e-mail:lax at math.lsu.edu
Brief Vita
B.S., C.C.N.Y., 1969
Ph.D., M.I.T., 1973
Assistant Professor, LSU, 1973-1978
Associate Professor, LSU, 1978-1987
Professor, LSU, 1987-
Research Interests
My research interests are in algebraic geometry, algebraic
coding theory, and, more recently, discrete math applied to computer science.
For many years, I have
been interested in Weierstrass points on algebraic curves.
Selected Publications
Formulas for approximating pseudo-Boolean random variables (with G. Ding, J. Chen, P. Chen), Discrete Applied Math, to appear. pdf
New bounds for randomized busing (with S. Seiden, P. Chen, J. Chen, G. Ding), Theoret. Comput. Sci. 332 (2005), 63-81. pdf
On the character of S_n acting on subspaces of F^q_n, Finite Fields and Their Applications 10 (2004), 315-322. pdf
Special subschemes on cuspidal curves, Comm. Alg. 28 (2000), 1361-1369. pdf
Decoding affine variety codes using Groebner bases (with
Jeanne Fitzgerald), Designs, Codes, and Cryptography 13 (1998), 147-158. pdf
Rational nodal curves with no smooth Weierstrass points (with Arnaldo Garcia), Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 124 (1996), 407-413. pdf
On canonical ideals, intersection numbers, and Weierstrass points on Gorenstein curves (with Arnaldo Garcia), J. Alg. 178 (1995), 807-832. pdf
Consecutive Weierstrass gaps and minimum distance of Goppa codes (with Arnaldo Garcia and Seon Jeong Kim), J. Pure Appl. Alg. 84 (1993), 199-207. pdf
Weierstrass points on Gorenstein curves (with C. Widland), Pac. J. Math. 142 (1990), 197-208. pdf
Weierstrass weight and degenerations, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 101 (1987), 8-10. pdf
Multiples of Weierstrass points as special divisors, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 82 (1981), 95-98. pdf
Gap sequences and moduli in genus 4, Math. Z. 175 (1980), 67-75. pdf
On higher order Weierstrass points of the universal curve, Math. Z. 162 (1978), 1-6.pdf
Weierstrass points of the universal curve, Math. Ann. 216 (1975), 35-42. pdf
On the dimension of varieties of special divisors, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 203 (1975), 141-159. pdf
Click here to see a list of all my publications on MathSciNet.
Modern Algebra and Discrete Structures
I am also the author of the textbook, "Modern Algebra and
Discrete Structures" (HarperCollins, 1991). This text is
intended for a junior-senior level course in Applied
(or Abstract) Algebra. The hardcover edition of this book
is now out-of-print. A softcover reprint is available from Addison-Wesley.
Click here to get a pdf file containing errata for this text.