MTH 195: Introduction to Cryptography                     Summer 2016                              

Instructor: Neil Sigmon                                                          
Phone: 540-831-5340           

Email: npsigmon@radford.edu

Homepage: http://www.radford.edu/npsigmon

Course Homepage: http://www.radford.edu/~npsigmon/courses/govschool/cryptgovhome.html

 

Textbook: Printed Notes

 

Class Meeting Times: Monday-Friday 8:30-11:30 a.m. in Carroll 239

 

Grading Policy: 80 % Hand written Homework, Computer Assignments

                         20 % Research Project*

 

* This part of your grade will require you to research a type of cryptosystem, preferably in groups of 2-3, and do a joint presentation describing the history of your cipher and the method it uses for encrypting and decrypting messages.

 

Grade Scale:   90-100     A                               

                       80-89       B

                       70-79       C

                       60-69       D

                       < 60        F

 

 

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to cryptography, the science of secret message writing. Students will have the opportunity to use mathematical concepts to execute historical and modern cryptographical algorithms.

 

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

 

1.   Appreciate the historical significance of cryptography.

2.   Employ basic concepts of algebra, number theory, statistics, and linear algebra to execute and crack both historical and modern cryptographic algorithms.

3.   Understand the modern importance of cryptography and its use in everyday life.

4.   To gain a better appreciation of the mathematical concepts mentioned in item 2 due to their extensive use in cryptography.