Math 3375 -- Theory of Cryptology
(Fall 2013)
This course is an introduction to the theory of cryptography and cryptoanalysis.
News (Last Updated: Dec 16, 2013)
Below is a summary of what we did in class, plus any relevant
news and/or information.
- Dec. 16 I have submitted the final marks. Good luck with the
rest of your exams, and all the best in the new year!
- Nov. 18 Tuesday will be the last lecture for this courses (given
by Dr. Lee). You will look at some additional topics of RSA cryptography
(e.g. signature exchange). I have also added a review sheet
for the final exam. Continue to work on your homework and project.
- Nov. 11 This week Dr. Lee will teach the material
on RSA cryptrography. See the email I sent to the class on what
topics you should understand. Continute to work on your homework
and project.
- Nov. 4 This week, Dr Dean and Lee will help cover the
lecture material. The focus this week is the mathematics behind
the public-key encryption system called RSA. You will learn the material
from Section 4.1, and learn some of the properties of a public-key
encryption system.
- Oct. 29 This week Dr. Liu will cover the remaining material
of Chapter 3. In particular, she will explain the Hill encryption
system. Also, she will show you how to use a spreadsheet to help with
your calculations. NOTE: Because class was cancelled last week, I have
now pushed back all the assignments to the next class. They will now
be due on Tuesdays, instead of Thursdays.
- Oct. 24 Dr. Lee taught Section 3.1 on matrices. You should know
how to determine if a matrix is invertible if its entries belong to
Z_26.
- Oct. 22 Class was cancelled.
- Oct. 17 Today was our midterm. It will be returned on Tuesday
(along with HWA 4).
- Oct. 15 Today we started Chapter 3. We looked at
two simple examples of a polygraphic substititon cipher. The
next class will be our midterm. You can pick up HWA 4 in my office.
- Oct. 10 In today's class, we finished our discussion
of the cryptoanalysis of the Vigenere Cipher. I handed back HWA 3,
and collected HWA 4. Just a reminder that next week is the midterm.
A review sheet is on the web (look to the right).
- Oct. 8 We looked at Section 2.5 on how to decrypt a
Vigenere cipher. You should know how to find the length
of a keyword.
- Oct. 5 I placed a revised project overview
on the web. As I mentioned in class, if you would like to code, this is
now an acceptable project. The project overview sheet has been updated to
reflect this fact. I will also send a link to a Google Docs to enter in
your project information.
- Oct. 3 In today's class we started our discussion of Section 2.5
on disguising frequencies using polyalphabetic substitution ciphers.
I handed back HWA 2, and collected HWA 3.
- Oct. 1 Today we went over Sections 2.3 and 2.4. Like
the material on last Thursday, the majority of this material was review.
- Sept. 26 Today we finished up Section 1.6 (we went over the
solution of the problem given on Tuesday), and we looked at Sections
2.1 and 2.2. (Note: we had no formal lecture on this material,
but you are expected to know it). I handed back HWA 1, and collected
HWA 2.
- Sept. 24 We looked at Section 1.6 today; after today's class, you should be able to decipher a text that was encoded using an
additive, multiplicative, or affine cipher. Also, the textbooks should be
in the bookstore later today.
- Sept. 19 In today's class, I introduced four encryption
schemes: additive, multiplicative, affine, and keyword. See Section 1.5
of the text for more. HWA 2 is on the web
and HWA 1 was due in class.
- Sept. 17 We went over Sections 1.3 and 1.4. You should know the
Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic and how to use modular arithmetic.
- Sept. 12 Today we went over Section 1.2 on the Euclidean algorithm.
Make sure you download HWA 1 -- it is due next week Thursday.
- Sept. 10 First day of classes! Today, we went over the course
outline, and we covered Section 1.1 of the text. Please read 1.2 and 1.3
for Thursday.
- Sept. 2 Some minor changes, including office hours.
- Aug. 12 I have updated the course webpage with more content about
the course. In particular, the course outline has been added.
- Jul. 24 Not much to see yet! Getting the webpage set up for the fall.
Useful Websites
Cryptography will involve lots of calculations. Luckily, there are many online applets that we can use. I'll
add some here, and you are encouraged to forward me links to websites that are useful.
Text Book and Original Sources
We will be using the following textbook in this course:
You can obtain this textbook in at two ways:
- Purchase from the internet
- Purchase a copy from Lakehead's Bookstore.
At times, we will also consult the original journal articles. Here
are the links to the required article.
(You may have to be on campus to download these articles)
Text for project
As part of your project for your course, you need to describe a cryptological
method. You will need to explain how your method would encrypt the
following passage from
Pride and Prejudice. I have
stripped out the punctation.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession
of a good fortune must be in want of a wife
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his
first entering a neighbourhood this truth is so well fixed in the minds
of the surrounding families that he is considered the rightful property
of some one or other of their daughters
My dear Mr Bennet said his lady to him one day have you heard that
Netherfield Park is let at last
Mr Bennet replied that he had not
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Instructor:
Adam Van Tuyl
Office: Ryan Building 2015
Office Hours: TWTh 2:30-3:30
Email: avantuyl AT lakeheadu.ca
Place and Time:
Class: TTh 8:30-10:00 in Ryan Building 2047
Textbook:
Cryptological Mathematics
by Robert Edward Lewand
Homework is given out every
Thursday, and will be due, at
the beginning of class,
the following Thursday. Assignments must conform to the
guidelines in the course outline.
Assignments are posted below.
Assignment 1 (Due: Sept 19)
Assignment 2 (Due: Sept 26)
Assignment 3 (Due: October 3)
Assignment 4 (Due: October 10)
Assignment 5 (Due: October 22) [NOTE DATE!]
Assignment 6 (Due: November 5)
Assignment 7 (Due: November 12)
Assignment 8 (Due: November 19)
Assignment 9 (Due: November 26)
All class handouts are available as
PDF files.
Course Information
Course handout from first day of class
Presentation Information REVISED: OCT 5
Handout describing course project
Midterm Information
Review sheet for midterm.
Final Exam Information
Review sheet for final exam.
Your final mark is broken down as:
Homework = 15%
Midterm = 25%
Project =15%
Final Exam = 45%
Sept. 9, 2013
First semester classes begin
Oct. 14, 2013
Thanksgiving (no class)
Oct. 17, 2013
Midterm 1
Oct. 17, 2013
Project topic due
Nov. 19, 2013
Written project due
Nov. 19,21,26, 2013
Presentations
Dec. 2, 2013
First semester classes end
Dec. 5-17, 2013
Exam period
Lakehead University
LU Math Department
Adam's Home Page
Student Code of Conduct