Welcome to ham radio!
Discussion of some of the simplest and most common forms of ham radio antennas (aerials) begins on page 72 of the Study Manual for the Restricted Grade Indian amateur radio licence. The half-wave dipole may be the single most common amateur antenna at HF because it is simple and inexpensive to build, easy to erect and almost 100% assured of working the first time if the wire is cut to the correct length.
Sadly, the Study Manual doesn't give the formula for the length of the half-wave dipole antenna, which is:
$$l=\frac{0.95*c}{2f}$$
where is is the speed of light (3x10$^8$-m/sec) and $f$ is the operating frequency in Hz. The factor of 0.95 in the numerator is the velocity factor; it reflects the fact that the wave propagating along the antenna wire is slightly slower than the speed of light. The factor of 2 in the denominator reflects the fact that the antenna is a half-wavelength.
Using the 20-meter ham band as an example:
$$l=\frac{0.95 * 3x10^8-m/sec}{2 * 14.1x10^6-Hz}=10.1-m$$
This makes sense, since this value is about 1/2 of the wavelength in the "20-meter" ham band.
I'm sure your university library will contain numerous books on antenna theory and design. Hopefully their collection will include some publications from ARRL, RSGB or other noteworthy sources, or you may be able to borrow a book from a local ham or club.