Course Description

TIME/PLACE: TTh 11:00-12:30, ART 1.110

INSTRUCTOR: Anna Gál

Office hours: TTh 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm or by appointment. (Except October 21.)

TEACHING ASSISTANT: Andrew Mills

TA Office hours: M 2-3 pm, W 3-4 pm PAI 5.38, desk 3.

PREREQUISITES: The following courses, with a grade of at least C in each: CS 310, CS 336, CS 337 AND M 408D/408M.

This course is a theoretical introduction to cryptography. The topics we will cover include:

• classical cryptography
• elements of coding and information theory
• modern cryptographic methods:
  • public key cryptosystems
  • authentication and digital signatures
  • secret sharing schemes

TEXTBOOK: We will use the book "Introduction to cryptography with coding theory" by W. Trappe, and L. C. Washington. (second edition) The lectures will also cover material that is not in the book, therefore class attendance and taking good notes are important.

BACKGROUND: The course will involve mathematical reasoning and proofs. We will cover the necessary mathematics in class, but some familiarity with the complexity of algorithms and probabilities will be assumed.

I recommend reviewing the first 4 chapters of "Discrete Mathematics and its Applications" by Kenneth H. Rosen (textbook for CS336) before taking the course. This includes a review of the growth of functions (1.8), fundamentals of algorithms and basic number theory (chapter 2), mathematical reasoning and proofs (3.1, 3.2) and probabilities (4.4, 4.5).

HOMEWORK: There will be regular homework. The assignments will be paper/pencil exercises.
Homework schedule:
HW1 out September 2, due September 9
HW2 out September 23, due September 30 EXTENDED to October 5
HW3 out October 5, due October 12
HW4 out October 28, due November 4
HW5 out November 11, due November 18

Exams: There will be a background quiz on August 31 in class. There will be three written tests during the course on
September 21, October 21 and December 2 in class. (No final exam.)

Grading: Homework: 40 %, Test 1: 20%, Test 2: 20%, Test 3: 20%.

HANDOUTS: You can find some handouts here. This page is password protected. The username is "cryptoclass" and the password is the solution to Problem 2 on Homework 1.