Special issue algebraic coding theory and applications

This issue of the Journal of Symbolic Computation is a follow-up to the “Soria Summer School on Computational Mathematics: Algebraic Coding Theory” supported by the group SINGACOM of the University of Valladolid, held at the Campus Duques de Soria of the University of Valladolid in Soria, July 2-11, 2008 and the Special Session “Computer Algebra and Coding Theory 2008”, hosted at ACA 2008 held at the RISC Institute of the Johannes Kepler University in Hagenberg, Austria, July 27-30, 2008. This special issue includes a selection of research articles applying symbolic and computational techniques from various fields (algebra, combinatorics, etc.) to the field of coding theory. Error correcting codes are important from both a mathematical-theoretical point of view and in practical applications: their study involves computer algebra and symbolic computation, linking algorithmic and abstract algebra to methods of computer science,