Instructor: Alan Durfee
Lectures: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00--10:50, Clapp 407. Other times will be arranged for discussion of homework, etc. There will be a number of handouts. These can always be picked up from an envelope on my bulletin board.
Texts: Invitation to Cryptology by Thomas Barr, and The Code Book, by Simon Singh. Both books are available at the Odyssey bookstore.
Homework: Homework can be handed in during class or put in the envelope labeled "homework to be graded" outside my office door. Homework is due by 5 pm on the due date. Please staple it together. Graded homework can be picked up any time from the envelope labeled "graded homework" on my bulletin board. Homework can be redone and handed in again; the higher score will count.
Weekly mystery cipher: Each week a mystery cipher will be given out, and the problem will be to decode it. Some of these will be relatively easy, and some quite hard. A group can work on these together.
Graders and evening help:
Evening help: TBA
Technology: You should have a calculator (one able to do exponents and logarithms).
Quizzes and Tests: There will be two in-class tests (closed book, dates TBA) and a take-home final examination (open book), handed out on the last day of classes and due at the end of exam period. There will be quizzes (closed book; announced in advance). If you are unable to take a quiz or test for any reason, you should consult with me beforehand. (You may call my answering machine at x2299 at any time, day or night.) They can always be taken early.
Grading: Each test is 80 points, the final examination is 100 points, homework is 130 points. Each quiz is 12 points. The lowest quiz score will be dropped.
Math 139 at the 200 level: If you're interested in doing more of the mathematical aspects of this course you should consider taking it at the 200 level. This section will meet once a week at a time to be arranged, and will have weekly homework assignments (and will be excused from some of the regular homework). The requirement for getting credit at the 200 level is to come to the weekly meetings and to do the homework. Topics to be discussed and applied will include matrix algebra, permutations, the mathematics used in cracking the Enigma, learning the number theory behind the RSA cipher in more depth, learning Maple and using it to do the RSA cipher, setting up a public key directory, and DES and Rijndael in more depth.
The web site for the 200 level is here.
References: There are many books on this subject. Here are a few of them:
Some links