"Substitution ciphers: Ancient - Renaissance"
This topic is available as a video of a talk, an article and a companion podcast. Read on for how to find these.
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Download video of "Substitution ciphers: Ancient - Renaissance" (M4V, 65MB; 20 mins) (alternative file format: (MP4, 43MB; 20 mins)) or Subscribe to the History of Maths and x video podcast via RSS or to get this and future videos.
Download slides for "Substitution ciphers: Ancient - Renaissance" as PPT.
By request, here are also the PDF slides - because of animations some slides aren't clear: Download slides for "Substitution ciphers: Ancient - Renaissance" as PDF.
Download companion podcast episode, episode 49 of the Travels in a Mathematical World podcast or subscribe: RSS
Article
An article on this topic, "Ciphers through the ages" by Peter Rowlett, appears in issue 10 of iSquared Magazine (Winter 2009/10), on pages 24-27. Find out more about the magazine and how to subscribe, buy the current issue or back copies of previous issues at the iSquared Magazine shop.
Abstract for talk
Cryptography is the process by which messages are communicated through
secret means. Cipher cryptography converts messages by applying some
cipher algorithm with a secret key to a plaintext message, converting
it into a ciphertext message that cannot be read by interceptors.
Cryptanalysis is the science that attempts to decipher these messages
without access to the secret key.
This talk will focus on substitution ciphers and demonstrate the
processes of encrypting and breaking some examples of these. The focus
is on the battle between cryptographers - who create cipher systems -
and cryptanalysts - who attempt to break them. As cryptanalysis
develops more ingenious ciphers must be created and this constant
struggle evolves from Roman generals, through the Golden Age of Islam
to political intrigue in Renaissance Europe.
This talk will provide a gentle introduction and will assume no prior
knowledge of cryptography.
Download video of "Substitution ciphers: Ancient - Renaissance" (M4V, 65MB; 20 mins).
Updates:
01/12/09 A talk, "Substitution ciphers: Ancient - Renaissance" took place on 1 December 2009 at the University of Nottingham and was videoed successfully. 07/12/09 The video is now available for download as "Substitution ciphers: Ancient - Renaissance" or by subscribing to the History of Maths and x video podcast via RSS or 11/12/09 podcast now listed in iTunes Store: .
07/12/09 Additional information is in episode 49 of the Travels in a Mathematical World podcast.
22/12/09 An article on this subject, "Ciphers through the ages", appears in the Winter 2009/10 issue of iSquared Magazine.
12/01/10: This talk is now available on YouTube, via the University of Nottingham Channel (NottmUniversity). You can view this above, or on the YouTube website as "Substitution ciphers: Ancient, Renaissance".
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