MCS 150 Syllabus:    January 2003

Dates Sinkov sections Lewand sections Class topics/activities
Jan. 6 1.1-1.4   Introduction
Caesar cipher
Modular arithmetic
Direct standard alphabets
"Completing the plain component"
Jan. 7 1.5-1.8 1.2-1.6 Characteristic letter frequencies
"Slides"
Decimation
Solution of decimated standard alphabets
Monoalphabets based on linear (affine) transformations
Mod operator, mod relation, divisibility, gcd
Solving linear congruences
Formation of cryptogram-solving teams
Jan. 8 2.1-2.2, 2.4 1.6 Types of ciphers; glossary
General monoalphabetic substitution
Mixed alphabets: ACA schemes
Solution of Aristocrats
Video: Spies: Code Breaking
Jan. 9 2.3   Solution of Patristocrats, monoalphetic substitution without word divisions
Jan. 10 3.1-3.3 2.5 Polyalphabetic substitution
Vigenere encipherment/decipherment
Kasiski test
Friedman's index of coincidence
Jan. 13 Chs. 1-2   EXAM 1
Jan. 14-16 3.1-3.7 2.5 Solution of polyalphabetic crypts
Video: Decoding Nazi Secrets
Jan. 17 4.1-4.2 3.1 Polygraphic systems
Playfair cipher
Hill's system
Jan. 20 Ch. 3 2.5 EXAM 2
Jan. 21-22 4.3-4.6 3.2-3.3 Solution of a linear (affine) transformation
Jan. 23   1.2 Euclidean algorithm
Solving a x = b (mod m)
Jan. 24 5.1-5.2   Transposition ciphers
Railfence ciphers
Enciphering/deciphering/solving
Jan. 27 4.1-5.1 Ch. 3, 1.2 EXAM 3
Jan. 28 5.3-5.6   Incomplete columnar transposition ciphers
Jan. 29-30   4.1-4.4 Public key cryptography
Jan. 30-31     Student presentations

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