Welcome to the Web site for Math 115F: Cryptography: The History and Mathematics of Codes and Code Breaking at Vanderbilt University.  I’m the instructor of the course, Derek Bruff. Bookmark this blog or subscribe to its RSS feed to stay up-to-date on course happenings and resources.

Basic Information

Days and Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:35-10:50
Location: Crawford House 208

Course Description

Julius Caesar used ciphers to keep his enemies from reading messages he sent to his generals. Sherlock Holmes deciphered a code to solve “The Mystery of the Dancing Men.” The defeat of the German Enigma Machine in World War Two by Polish and British cryptanalysts required espionage by Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, and played an important role in the Battle of the Atlantic and D-Day. It also led to the construction of the first digital computers, which ushered in an information age where cryptography makes information security possible and plays a role in electronic commerce and social justice. This course is designed to provide an understanding and appreciation of the ways in which codes and code breaking have impacted history, technology, and culture. Students will learn concepts and techniques from abstract mathematics used in classical and modern cryptography. Students will also gain proficiency in creating and breaking fun and simple codes and ciphers.

Textbooks

Image: “Welcome” by Flickr user sierraromeo, Creative Commons licensed