Because of the mathematical nature of cryptography and because students often have a natural interest in secret messages, the topic is a motivating setting for learning and applying mathematics skills. It is also true that the serious study of numbers can be as fascinating for students as it is useful for cryptography. Unfortunately both, despite the accessibility to most students, are rarely taught with any seriousness in the high school math curriculum. We will be exploring how the schools might expose students to cryptography and number theory.

Mathematical topics include prime numbers, GCF, LCM, division algorithm, the Euclidean algorithm and the extended Euclidean algorithm. We will discuss Caesar, affine, and Vigenere ciphers; and RSA encryption.

The course will run as a student seminar. Each student (and the instructor) will research and present aspects of cryptography and/or number theory to the class. Topics will be chosen and assigned accoridng to student interest and previous experiences. It is anticipated that each student will have the opportunity for three presentations.

Cryptography demands the use of appropriate technology to encrypt, decrypt and crack secret messages. As well, computational power can facilitate the understanding of number theory. Students without previous experience in cryptography will be learning the classical ciphers online at CryptoClub.org. We will also explore other computer applications that can be used in high school.

Required materials: