Making, Breaking Codes: Introduction to Cryptology

by Paul Garrett

This unique book explains the basic issues of classical and modern cryptography, and provides a self contained essential mathematical background in number theory, abstract algebra, and probability—with surveys of relevant parts of complexity theory and other things. A user-friendly, down-to-earth tone presents concretely motivated introductions to these topics. More detailed chapter topics include simple ciphers; applying ideas from probability; substitutions, transpositions, permutations; modern symmetric ciphers; the integers; prime numbers; powers and roots modulo primes; powers and roots for composite moduli; weakly multiplicative functions; quadratic symbols, quadratic reciprocity; pseudoprimes; groups; sketches of protocols; rings, fields, polynomials; cyclotomic polynomials, primitive roots; pseudo-random number generators; proofs concerning pseudoprimality; factorization attacks finite fields; and elliptic curves. For personnel in computer security, system administration, and information systems.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Paul Michael Garrett

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was the text book for my introduction to cryptology course. It had many typos, and the material was far too elementary.

All in all, it had some good exercise, and I learned a bunch of probability from this book.

However, as a cryptology text book, it would have been better to just let the kids loose with The Code Book and lectured on the missing mathematical material.

I hear the 2nd edition is much better.