Math 4450/6450, Introduction to Cryptography
Spring 2004
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Instructor: Matt Baker
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Time and place: TuTh 11:00 A.M. - 12:15 P.M, 322 Boyd
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E-mail: mbaker@math.uga.edu.
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Office: 440 Boyd
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Office Hours: Tuesday 4-5, Wednesday 1:30 - 2:30
Course texts:
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"Introduction to Cryptography with Coding Theory" by Wade Trappe and
Lawrence C. Washington (primary text)
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"The Code Book" (plus "The Code Book CD-ROM") by Simon Singh
Final exam:
(due Thursday, April 29 at NOON)
- Download the final exam here (pdf format).
Tenth homework assignment:
(due Thursday, April 22)
- Trappe-Washington Section 15.6 # 2,6,12
- Trappe-Washington Section 15.7 # 1,5
Ninth homework assignment:
(due Thursday, April 15)
- Download the assigment here (pdf format).
Eighth homework assignment:
(due Thursday, April 1)
- Download the assigment here (pdf format).
Seventh homework assignment:
(due Thursday, March 25)
- Download the assigment here (pdf format).
Useful Links:
Prerequisites:
Math 4000 or equivalent. No previous coursework in number theory or
computer programming is required, but may be helpful.
Course outline:
For centuries, cryptology, the science of secret codes, has been
almost solely in the realm of government and the military. With the
advent of electronic communication and commerce it has become vitally
important to have secure cryptographic systems available to ordinary
people. Many of the modern methods that are in use or have been
suggested are based on computational problems in number theory and
algebra, especially factoring large numbers and the "discrete
logarithm" problem (given two elements in a group with one a power of
the other, find the exponent). In this course, we will take a tour of
various cryptographic systems (both classical and modern), learning their strengths and
weaknesses. Along the way, we will study modern algorithms for recognizing
prime numbers, factoring composite numbers, and computing discrete
logarithms. The mathematical structures introduced will include finite
fields and elliptic curves.
Exams:
There will be a take-home midterm and a take-home final exam.
Homework:
Homework will be assigned on a regular basis. There
will be some reading assignments and some computer-based projects as
part of the homework.
Students taking the course at the 6000 level will be assigned some
extra problems, and will also be expected to write a short (roughly
four pages) expository paper on a topic of their choosing.
Grading Policy:
Homework will account for 50% of your course
grade, the miderm 25%, and the final exam 25%.
Collaboration:
On the homework sets, collaboration is both allowed
and encouraged. However, you must write up yourself and understand your own
homework solutions. On the midterm and final exams, collaboration is not
permitted.
Miscellany:
If at any point during the semester you feel
unsatisfied with some aspect of the course, please come talk to me
about it! I have no problem making adjustments mid-stream if
necessary. This course is supposed to be highly informative and,
above all, fun.
This page was last modified on April 22, 2004 by
Matt Baker.