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Assignment 3 - The Mathematics of Cryptography

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Assignment 3 - The Mathematics of Cryptography

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rana saad
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Assignment 3: The Mathematics of Cryptography

Introduction: Cryptography is the practice of securing communication and data through


mathematical techniques. It is foundational to modern security protocols, such as secure
email, online banking, and digital currencies like Bitcoin. The field relies heavily on number
theory, algebra, and modular arithmetic to ensure data confidentiality, integrity, and
authentication.

Mathematical Concepts in Cryptography:

1. Prime Numbers and Modular Arithmetic: Cryptographic algorithms often use prime
numbers and modular arithmetic. For example, the RSA algorithm, one of the most
widely used public-key cryptosystems, uses the product of two large prime numbers
to generate a public and private key pair.
The RSA algorithm works as follows:
○ Choose two large primes, ppp and qqq.
○ Compute n=p×qn = p \times qn=p×q, which is used as part of the public key.
○ Calculate Euler’s totient function ϕ(n)=(p−1)(q−1)\phi(n) = (p-1)(q-
1)ϕ(n)=(p−1)(q−1).
○ Choose a public exponent eee such that 1<e<ϕ(n)1 < e < \phi(n)1<e<ϕ(n) and
eee is coprime to ϕ(n)\phi(n)ϕ(n).
○ Find the private exponent ddd such that d×e≡1 (mod ϕ(n))d \times
e \equiv 1 \ (\text{mod} \ \phi(n))d×e≡1 (mod ϕ(n)).
○ The public key is (e,n)(e, n)(e,n) and the private key is (d,n)(d, n)(d,n).
2. Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC): ECC uses the algebraic structure of elliptic
curves over finite fields. Elliptic curves provide higher security with shorter key
lengths compared to RSA. For example, ECC can achieve the same level of security
as RSA with a 256-bit key rather than a 3072-bit key, making it more efficient for
mobile devices and low-bandwidth environments.
3. Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange: The Diffie-Hellman protocol allows two parties to
securely exchange cryptographic keys over a public channel. It relies on the difficulty
of solving discrete logarithms, which is based on modular exponentiation.

Applications:

● Secure Communication: Cryptography ensures that data transmitted over the


internet is secure. Protocols like HTTPS and SSL/TLS rely on cryptographic
algorithms to secure communication between users and websites.
● Digital Signatures: Cryptographic algorithms are used to verify the authenticity of
digital documents and transactions, ensuring that the sender is legitimate and the
data has not been tampered with.
● Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: Cryptography secures digital currencies, like
Bitcoin, through the use of hash functions and public-private key encryption.

Conclusion: Cryptography is an essential part of modern security infrastructure. Its reliance


on mathematical principles such as number theory, modular arithmetic, and algebra ensures
the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of information in a world increasingly dependent
on digital communication.

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