The Mathematics Of Secrets

Explaining the mathematics of cryptography The Mathematics of Secrets takes readers on a fascinating tour of the mathematics behind cryptography—the science of sending secret messages. Using a wide range of historical anecdotes and real-world examples, Joshua Holden shows how mathematical principles underpin the ways that different codes and ciphers work. He focuses on both code making and code breaking and discusses most of the ancient and modern ciphers that are currently known. He begins by looking at substitution ciphers, and then discusses how to introduce flexibility and additional notation. Holden goes on to explore polyalphabetic substitution ciphers, transposition ciphers, connections between ciphers and computer encryption, stream ciphers, public-key ciphers, and ciphers involving exponentiation. He concludes by looking at the future of ciphers and where cryptography might be headed. The Mathematics of Secrets reveals the mathematics working stealthily in the science of coded messages. A blog describing new developments and historical discoveries in cryptography related to the material in this book is accessible at http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10826.html.

Explaining the mathematics of cryptography The Mathematics of Secrets takes readers on a fascinating tour of the mathematics behind cryptography—the science of sending secret messages. Using a wide range of historical anecdotes and real-world examples, Joshua Holden shows how mathematical principles underpin the ways that different codes and ciphers work. He focuses on both code making and code breaking and discusses most of the ancient and modern ciphers that are currently known. He begins by looking at substitution ciphers, and then discusses how to introduce flexibility and additional notation. Holden goes on to explore polyalphabetic substitution ciphers, transposition ciphers, connections between ciphers and computer encryption, stream ciphers, public-key ciphers, and ciphers involving exponentiation. He concludes by looking at the future of ciphers and where cryptography might be headed. The Mathematics of Secrets reveals the mathematics working stealthily in the science of coded messages. A blog describing new developments and historical discoveries in cryptography related to the material in this book is accessible at http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10826.html.

From bestselling author of Fermat's Last Theorem, a must-have for number lovers and Simpsons fans

Winner of an Outstanding Academic Title Award from CHOICE MagazineMost available cryptology books primarily focus on either mathematics or history. Breaking this mold, Secret History: The Story of Cryptology gives a thorough yet accessible treatment of both the mathematics and history of cryptology. Requiring minimal mathematical prerequisites, the

These simple math secrets and tricks will forever change how you look at the world of numbers. Secrets of Mental Math will have you thinking like a math genius in no time. Get ready to amaze your friends—and yourself—with incredible calculations you never thought you could master, as renowned “mathemagician” Arthur Benjamin shares his techniques for lightning-quick calculations and amazing number tricks. This book will teach you to do math in your head faster than you ever thought possible, dramatically improve your memory for numbers, and—maybe for the first time—make mathematics fun. Yes, even you can learn to do seemingly complex equations in your head; all you need to learn are a few tricks. You’ll be able to quickly multiply and divide triple digits, compute with fractions, and determine squares, cubes, and roots without blinking an eye. No matter what your age or current math ability, Secrets of Mental Math will allow you to perform fantastic feats of the mind effortlessly. This is the math they never taught you in school.

"As gripping as a good thriller." --The Washington Post Unpack the science of secrecy and discover the methods behind cryptography--the encoding and decoding of information--in this clear and easy-to-understand young adult adaptation of the national bestseller that's perfect for this age of WikiLeaks, the Sony hack, and other events that reveal the extent to which our technology is never quite as secure as we want to believe. Coders and codebreakers alike will be fascinated by history's most mesmerizing stories of intrigue and cunning--from Julius Caesar and his Caeser cipher to the Allies' use of the Enigma machine to decode German messages during World War II. Accessible, compelling, and timely, The Code Book is sure to make readers see the past--and the future--in a whole new way. "Singh's power of explaining complex ideas is as dazzling as ever." --The Guardian

In today's extensively wired world, cryptology is vital for guarding communication channels, databases, and software from intruders. Increased processing and communications speed, rapidly broadening access and multiplying storage capacity tend to make systems less secure over time, and security becomes a race against the relentless creativity of the unscrupulous. The revised and extended third edition of this classic reference work on cryptology offers a wealth of new technical and biographical details. The book presupposes only elementary mathematical knowledge. Spiced with exciting, amusing, and sometimes personal accounts from the history of cryptology, it will interest general a broad readership.

Requiring no more than a knowledge of high school mathematics and written in clear and accessible language, this book will give all readers a new insight into some of the most enjoyable and fascinating aspects of geometry. Everyone knows what a triangle is, yet very few people appreciate that the common three-sided figure holds many intriguing "secrets." For example, if a circle is inscribed in any random triangle and then three lines are drawn from the three points of tangency to the opposite vertices of the triangle, these lines will always meet at a common point-no matter what the shape of the triangle. This and many more interesting geometrical properties are revealed in this entertaining and illuminating book about geometry. Flying in the face of the common impression that mathematics is usually dry and intimidating, this book proves that this sometimes-daunting, abstract discipline can be both fun and intellectually stimulating. The authors, two veteran math educators, explore the multitude of surprising relationships connected with triangles and show some clever approaches to constructing triangles using a straightedge and a compass. Readers will learn how they can improve their problem-solving skills by performing these triangle constructions. The lines, points, and circles related to triangles harbor countless surprising relationships that are presented here in a very engaging fashion.

Biologists have long dismissed mathematics as being unable to meaningfully contribute to our understanding of living beings. Within the past ten years, however, mathematicians have proven that they hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of our world -- and ourselves. In The Mathematics of Life, Ian Stewart provides a fascinating overview of the vital but little-recognized role mathematics has played in pulling back the curtain on the hidden complexities of the natural world -- and how its contribution will be even more vital in the years ahead. In his characteristically clear and entertaining fashion, Stewart explains how mathematicians and biologists have come to work together on some of the most difficult scientific problems that the human race has ever tackled, including the nature and origin of life itself.