Secret Codes and Online Security Instructor: Neal Koblitz, Mathematics From the TV program NUMB3RS to ads for services that guard against identity theft, issues of data protection and safe communications are very much in the public eye. Because the challenges are so complex, people from many different fields contribute to the study of security issues. This seminar welcomes students with interests in the humanities and social sciences as well as natural sciences. It will include some or all of the following topics, depending on the interests and backgrounds of the students: mathematics (number theory and graph theory), computer science (running times), history (ancient wrapped-pole ciphers, cryptography in World War II, and the development of commercial cryptography in the computer age), public policy (cybersecurity, civil liberties, the role of NSA), and literature and film. Several of these topics will be covered through student projects and presentations. The mathematics will be taught mainly through hands-on projects and recreational cryptography. For example, a type of public key encryption called "perfect code cryptography" can be learned through a game with students in the roles of message sender, receiver, or malicious eavesdropper. We will also take a field trip to Microsoft. Meets: MTWTh 9:00-11:30
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