MATH409-12S2 (C)
Cryptography 2
This is a semester two course.
Course Information
Cryptography is the science of making and breaking secret codes: encryption is what keeps our credit card details safe when we send them over the internet. We will study the mathematics behind some of the main encryption systems in current use. Coding theory comprises a second half of the course. It provides the theory and methods for coding information so that it can be transmitted over a noisy channel and be accurately decoded by the receiver. Cryptography and coding theory draw on ideas from algebra, geometry, number theory and probability theory. The course is aimed at students majoring in computer science or mathematics. It follows on from MATH220 (Discrete Mathematics and Cryptography); it is good preparation for or a good complement to COSC332 (Data and Network Security), COSC413 (Advanced Topics in Algorithms) and COSC436 (Security Fundamentals). Students who do not have the appropriate background in cryptography but who wish to enroll in the course should contact the course coordinator in order to discuss their eligibility.
Learning outcomes
• to become familiar with the mathematics behind some of the main encryption systems currently in use
• to develop the necessary mathematical skills to analyse the efficiency and security of cryptosystems in a rigorous mathematical setting
• to understand the principles and theory of error-correcting codes, and the various methods for constructing them
• to understand important ideas from classical number theory, algebra, geometry and probability theory
Enquiries
Prof. Mike Steel
Room 623 Erskine Building
Phone Extension 8349
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