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Too Far, and yet Not Far Enough
One passage that I particularly liked for its relevance to modern day encryption, is when Randy and Avi are communicating using Ordo, a program that helps them encrypt their messages. It uses modern...
View ArticleProblem Set 5, Question 4
As promised, here's a solution to Question 4 on Problem Set 5. I know it was a tough one, so if you didn't get it, hopefully you can at least understand the solution when it's all laid out. You don't...
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Singh Chapter 7 - Reading Questions
We'll discuss the seventh chapter of The Code Book in class on Tuesday. In case you'd like a little guidance for your reading or would like to prepare for discussion tomorrow, here are a few questions...
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Social Bookmarking Assignment #5
For your fifth bookmarking assignment, you're invited to bookmark anything you like that's related to cryptography. Look for a news article or resource on cryptography that's interesting to you, or...
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Paper #3 - Big Questions Paper
Here's the assignment and rubric for your final paper assignment, the "big questions" paper. A draft outline of your paper is due in class on Tuesday, December 4th, and your final paper is due by noon...
View ArticleMath Exam Study Guide
Here's a study guide for this week's math exam, in both Word and PDF formats. (Some of the mathematical notation might not come through in the Word file, so check the PDF if you're confused.) The guide...
View ArticleDecember Office Hours
Here's my office hour schedule for the next two weeks. Feel free to drop by during any of these times to talk about your final paper. You're also welcome to email me to schedule an appointment....
View ArticleBlog Assignment Scores
I've just posted your blog assignment scores to OAK. You had seven blog assignments this fall. I scored each post (or comment) out of 100, then averaged those scores to get your blog average. Most of...
View ArticleBookmark Assignment Scores
I've just posted your bookmark assignment scores to OAK. You had five bookmark assignments this fall. I scored each one out of 100, then averaged those scores to get your bookmark average. Most of you...
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Crypto Posts on Wonders & Marvels--and More!
I would like to brag on the students in the fall 2012 offering of this course. You may recall that they blogged regularly here on the course blog during the semester. That was, in part, to prepare them...
View ArticleWelcome to Class!
I'm excited to teach "Cryptography: The History and Mathematics of Codes and Ciphers" again this fall. It's my favorite course to teach, and I hope you find it interesting, too. Here's a copy of the...
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Blog Assignment #1
For your first blog assignment, write a post between 200 and 400 words in which you reflect on how your perspective changed about a topic or question discussed in Singh Chapter 1, after we discussed...
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Social Bookmarking Assignment #1
For your first bookmarking assignment, you're invited to bookmark anything you like that's related to cryptography. Look for a news article or resource on cryptography that's interesting to you. If...
View ArticleSubstitution Ciphers - Some Sources
I hope you found today's cryptanalysis activity interesting. As I mentioned in class, you'll get the chance to work on a new ciphertext from start to finish in your first problem set, which I'll post...
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Singh Chapter 1 - Reading Questions
I meant to post this on Friday, but just in case it's still useful... Here are a few questions about Singh Chapter 1 you might consider. I'm not expecting you to answer these questions (on the blog or...
View ArticleBlog Assignment 1
I had a general idea about what cryptography and code breaking was. Learning the history of the subject in the first chapter was interesting. When I was in grade school, my friends and I used to wrap...
View ArticleBlog Assignment #1: Security and Civilization
In Chapter 1 of The Code Book Singh discusses the overarching issues that Mary Queen of Scots faced during and leading up to the trial for her execution. What I found most interesting, and...
View ArticleCryptography in History
After our discussion in class on chapter 1 of The Code Book, I was able to look at the history of cryptography with a new perspective. It was interesting to read about how a society would not be able...
View ArticleProblem Set #1
Here's your first problem set, available in Word and PDF formats: Problem Set 1 (Word) and Problem Set 1 (PDF). It's due at the start of class on Monday, September 1st. You're welcome to turn in...
View ArticleBlog Post #1
What surprised me most in the first chapter of this text was just how old cryptography is. I guess I had never really thought about it's origins before the reading. I thought it was really interesting...
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