Ismar Volic: Math 223 Number Theory, spring '09

Ismar Volic
Ismar Volic	ivolic [at] wellesley.edu


	Math 223 Number Theory, spring '09

Syllabus

GENERAL HANDOUTS

Homework guidelines

Tips for getting into graduate school

Extra credit guidelines

NUMBER THEORY HANDOUTS

Why study Number Theory? / Some open problems

A brief history of Number Theory

Various number systems

Basic logic and proof styles

The search for Mersenne primes

Statistics of English language

History of public-key cryptography

Public-key cryptography and secure voting

Quantum cryptography

Privacy and cryptography:

Summary of the crypto regulation/privacy debate

Attempts at government regulation of cryptography

History of the crypto regulation fight (including Clipper and ECHELON)

Why we have to protect our privacy

What do we mean by "national security"?

Public-key manifesto

Various kinds of technological threats

What do we mean by "privacy"?

Case for regulation of cryptography

Encryption export regulation versus free speech

Cyberterrorism threat

Colleges protest upgrade

Renewal of the crypto regulation debate post 9-11

How much data is monitored