An introduction of the theory of nonlinear error-correcting codes

Nonlinear error-correcting codes are the topic of this thesis. As a class of codes, it has been investigated far less than the class of linear error-correcting codes. While the latter have many practical advantages, it the former that contain the optimal error-correcting codes. In this project the theory (with illustrative examples) of currently known nonlinear codes is presented. Many definitions and theorems (often with their proofs) are presented thus providing the reader with the opportunity to experience the necessary level of mathematical rigor for good understanding of the subject. Also, the examples will give the reader the additional benefit of seeing how the theory can be put to use. An introduction to a technique for finding new codes via computer search is presented