Numerical Semigroups and Codes

Abstract: A numerical semigroup is a subset of N containing 0, closed under addition and with finite complement in N. An important example of numerical semigroup is given by the Weierstrass semigroup at one point of a curve. In the theory of algebraic geometry codes, Weierstrass semigroups are crucial for defining bounds on the minimum distance as well as for defining improvements on the dimension of codes. We present these applications and some theoretical problems related to classification, characterization and counting of numerical semigroups.