CSC 233: Codes and Ciphers

This course is an introduction to the science and history of secret writing (cryptography) and how codes and ciphers can be broken (cryptanalysis). In historical settings we will encounter the main ideas and methods devised to secure communication channels. Possible topics include: substitution ciphers, transposition ciphers, the Vigenere cipher, statistical methods in cryptanalysis, public-key cryptography, and quantum cryptography.