How Is Abstract Algebra Applied in Everyday Technology?

[MathWarrior]

I've been studying cryptography and I found out that AES uses Galois Fields. I was therefore wondering where else does abstract algebra pop-up for real world use?

 

[jsgruszynski]

It shows up in digital modulation, digital encoding and digital error correction quite extensively. Strictly that's related to the cryto applications after a fashion. So practical applications:

• Your cell phone
• Your WiFi router
• Your satellite TV
• Your HDTV
• NASA deep space probes like Pioneer and Voyager and anything coming later like Mars probes
• Your disk drive

Part of why EE is probably the biggest practical field of mathematics.