Applied Algebra Research and Outreach: Summer 2026

As VT Math faculty prepare for the new academic year, we recognize that Summer 2026 was not just a chance for a needed break from regular classes. It was also an opportunity for deeper engagement in research and outreach; and for the Applied Algebra Research Group, it was packed with productivity!

Professors Giuseppe Cotardo and Jason LeGrow received new awards from the National Science Foundation, on "Code Invariants in Classical and Quantum Error Correction" and "Post-Quantum Cryptographic Protocols with Advanced Functionalities," respectively.

Professor Hiram Lopez has a featured article in the August edition of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society--a primary forum for research in mathematics.

Professors Sarah Arpin, Jason LeGrow, Hiram Lopez, and Gretchen Matthew have a piece appearing soon in IEEE BITS the Information Theory Magazine. 

And once again, the research group hosted the Collaboration Workshop in Coding Theory and Cryptography at the Virginia Tech Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. The workshop was held June 29-July 3, with 21 researchers representing 10 countries working on topics in coding theory, quantum error correction, and post-quantum cryptography. The schedule featured 16 research presentations and working groups focused on the following topics:

• Algebraic Attacks in Code-based Cryptography

• Applications of the Eigenvalue Method in Coding Theory

• DNA Storage: Encoding the Future

• Post-Quantum Threshold Signatures

• A Unified Framework for Puncturing Quantum Stabilizer Codes

At the end of the workshop, on July 3, the group was delighted to host Swissogeny Day: "a recurring meetup of cryptographers working on isogeny-based cryptography in and around Switzerland." 

You can find a full schedule for the workshop, along with pictures, below.