Honors
HNRS 131-01: Cryptology
We start by reading two fictional classics involving cryptology – short stories by Poe and Doyle. (Later, we will read a third, by Verne.) We will then cover classical encryption methods (shift, general substitution, Vigenere, transposition, Hill cipher) with emphasis on developing the mathematical and statistical tools necessary to "break" the codes. Much time will be devoted to breaking coded messages. We will then study the Enigma machine and the Polish and English efforts in breaking it. Remaining topics will be: one-time pads, the Data Encryption Standard (DES), public-key encryption (in particular RSA encryption) and the mathematics necessary to understand these methods.
While the mathematics is not particularly deep, the student should be mathematically mature.
Fall Term: 2008
Credits: 4
Fulfills: GE Requirement in Science (Y)
Meeting times: 10:30-11:20 MWF
Instructor: Todd Feil