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Preface Introduction

Goals and Aims of the text:

  • Present a \textit{brief} overview of the history of cryptology
  • Present the cryptology as it was not with significantly newer or older concepts
  • Exception to the previous statement will be the use of some modern terminology where appropriate
  • Present a variety of mathematical topics: Statistical analysis, Linear Algebra, Number Theory, Group Theory
  • Present the material from an inquiry based perspective when possible
  • Present the text as a battle back and forth between making and breaking codes

\noindent What should be covered in terms of content can be summarized by the list:

  • 500 B.C.E. (and before): Atabash, Scytale, Demaratus, Histiaeus
  • 50 B.C.E.: Caesar
  • 700-1000: Arab Cryptology*
  • 140"0-1850: Foiling Frequencies*: Alberti's, Vigen\'{e}re's , Jefferson's, and Playfair's Ciphers
  • 1846: Babbage / Kasiski Test*
  • 1914-1918: World War I: Zimmermann's Telegram, ADFGVX Cipher, etc.
  • 1919: One Time Pad*
  • 1929: Hill's Cipher*
  • 1934: Enigma* in the service of the German military
  • 1978:" RSA*
  • 1991: Zimmermann and PGP
  • 2000: Quantum Cryptology