Universal Hashing and Geometric Codes

We describe a new application of algebraic coding theory to universal hashing and authentication without secrecy. This permits to make use of the hitherto sharpest weapon of coding theory, the construction of codes from algebraic curves. We show in particular how codes derived from Artin-Schreier curves, Hermitian curves and Suzuki curves yield classes of universal hash functions which are substantially better than those known before.