CMSC/Math 456, Cryptology, Fall 2009, Mon Wed Fri
11:00-11:50AM
Instructor:
Aravind
Srinivasan
Office: AVW 3263, Phone: 301-405-2695
Instructor's office Hours: Mon 3-5 pm and Fri 12-1 pm in AVW 3263
TA: Arun B (arunb AT cs.umd.edu),
Office Hours Tue, Thu 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, in AVW 1112
Course Time and Location: Mon, Wed, Fri 11:00-11:50 AM, EGR 1108
Book:
Introduction to Modern Cryptography
(ISBN: 978-1584885511)
by Jonathan Katz and Yehuda Lindell; see also the
errata.
Course Webpage:
http://www.cs.umd.edu/class/fall2009/cmsc456/index.html
Course Description:
Cryptology is the study of the design and analysis of various
encryption schemes, and related topics. The plan is to study the
basics of the subject and then touch on several recent developments.
Grading: Homework 30%, Two Midterm Tests (30% total), Final: 40%.
Homework should be stapled and submitted on time; late homework will not
be accepted. Your lowest homework score will be dropped. Graduate students
will be given additional problems in the homeworks and exams.
Approximate syllabus
The following is a tentative syllabus.
Chapter numbers refer to the table of contents available here.
- Classical vs. modern cryptography; some historical ciphers; principles of modern cryptography.
(Chapter 1.)
- Perfectly-secret encryption. (Chapter 2.)
- Computational security. Symmetric-key encryption. (Chapter 3.)
- Message authentication and hash functions. (Chapter 4.)
- Block ciphers. (Chapter 5.)
- Theoretical constructions. (Sections 6.1, 6.2.)
- Number theory; cryptographic hardness assumptions and their applications. (Chapter 7.)
- The public-key revolution; Diffie-Hellman key exchange. (Chapter 9.)
- Public-key encryption. (Chapter 10.)
- Digital signatures. (Chapter 12.)
- The random oracle model and efficient cryptographic schemes. (Chapter 13.)
- As time permits, we will cover some advanced topics.
Homework
All homework is due at the beginning of class on the due date.
Homework 1, due September 16th.
Homework 2, due September 28th.
Homework 3, due October 9th.
Homework 4, due October 23rd. (Problem 4 has now been removed)
Homework 5, due November 4th.
Homework 6, due November 23rd.
Mid-Terms and Final Exam
The mid-terms and final exam will be closed-book and closed-notes;
calculators and
other computing equipment will not be permitted.
The two mid-terms will be held in class on Oct. 12 and Nov. 9.
The chapters from the textbook for the first mid-term are:
- Chapter 1;
- All of Chapter 2 EXCEPT Section 2.4;
- All of Chapter 3 EXCEPT Section 3.2.2; and
- Chapters 4.1 and 4.2.
The chapters from the textbook for the second mid-term are:
- Sections 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6;
- Construction 4.15 from Sec. 4.7.1 (proof not necessary);
- Chapter 5: pages 159-165;
- Sections 6.1 and 6.2; and
- Section 7.1: up to and including Lemma 7.13.
The final exam will be in class on Wednesday, Dec 16, 8-10 AM.
Course Evaluation
Students are strongly encouraged to complete their course evaluations;
the site is here, and
will be open in the first half of December.
Excused Absences
Students claiming a excused absence must apply in writing and furnish
documentary support (such as from a health-care professional who treated
the student) for any assertion that the absence qualifies as an excused
absence. The support should explicitly indicate the dates or times the
student was incapacitated due to illness. Self-documentation of illness
is not itself sufficient support to excuse the absence. An instructor
is not under obligation to offer a substitute assignment or to give a
student a make-up assessment unless the failure to perform was due to
an excused absence.
Academic Accommodations for Disabilities
Any student eligible for and requesting reasonable academic accommodations
due to a disability is requested to provide, to the instructor in office
hours, a letter of accommodation from the Office of Disability Support
Services (DSS) within the first two weeks of the semester.
Academic Integrity
The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized
Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council.
This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all
undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible
for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for
you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication,
facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of
Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit
http://www.studentconduct.umd.edu.
To further exhibit your commitment to academic integrity, remember to
sign the Honor Pledge on all examinations and assignments: "I pledge on
my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance
on this examination (assignment)."
Some Cryptology Links
David Wagner's posts on cryptography
Quadralay Cryptography Archive This page is a very useful list of things associated with cryptography.
The National Security Agency