Cryptology

Catalog description

Cryptology is a mathematically rich subject that includes both cryptography, the science of making secret codes, and cryptanalysis, the science of breaking secret codes. Historically, cryptology has played a central role in military and government covert actions and modern-day data security. In this course, we develop a number of mathematical topics including modular arithmetic, statistics, probability, permutation functions, algorithms, binary numbers, base twenty-six, primes, factorization, the Euclidean algorithm, and Fermat's Little Theorem as they pertain to classical cryptographic techniques, symmetric computer-based cryptography, and public key cryptography. We also examine the historical backdrop of cryptology and examine legal issues concerning cryptology.