Overview

Explaining the mathematics of cryptographyThe 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.

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9780691183312

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Reviews

The best book I have seen on this subject and should be useful to students as well as enjoyable to casual readers. --Phil Dyke, Leonardo Reviews Any book on cryptography written for a more-or-less lay audience must inevitably face comparisons to The Code Book . . . by Simon Singh. . . . The Mathematics of Secrets is tilted (and indeed titled) more towards a fuller explanation of the mathematical techniques underlying the various ciphers. . . . [F]or anyone who wants to go a bit deeper than Simon Singh took them. --Paul Taylor, Aperiodical For anyone with an interest in cryptography. --Noel-Ann Bradshaw, Times Higher Education A fascinating tour of the mathematics behind cryptography, showing how its principles underpin the ways that different codes and ciphers operate. . . . While it's all about maths, [The Mathematics of Secrets] is accessible-basic high school algebra is all that's needed to understand and enjoy it. --Cosmos Magazine

This is a fascinating tour of the mathematics behind cryptography, showing how its principles underpin the ways that different codes and ciphers operate. . . . While it's all about maths, the book is accessible--basic high school algebra is all that's needed to understand and enjoy it. --Cosmos Magazine The best book I have seen on this subject. --Phil Dyke, Leonardo Reviews Complete in surveying cryptography. . . . This is a marvelous way of illustrating the use of simple mathematics in an important application that has triggered the wit of the designers and the ingenuity of the attackers since antiquity. --Adhemar Bultheel, European Mathematical Society In The Mathematics of Secrets, Joshua Holden takes the reader on a chronological journey from Julius Caesar's substitution cipher to modern day public-key algorithms and beyond. . . . Written for anyone with an interest in cryptography. --Noel-Ann Bradshaw, Times Higher Education

The best book I have seen on this subject and should be useful to students as well as enjoyable to casual readers. --Phil Dyke, Leonardo Reviews Any book on cryptography written for a more-or-less lay audience must inevitably face comparisons to The Code Book . . . by Simon Singh. . . . The Mathematics of Secrets is tilted (and indeed titled) more towards a fuller explanation of the mathematical techniques underlying the various ciphers. . . . [F]or anyone who wants to go a bit deeper than Simon Singh took them. --Paul Taylor, Aperiodical For anyone with an interest in cryptography. --Noel-Ann Bradshaw, Times Higher Education A fascinating tour of the mathematics behind cryptography, showing how its principles underpin the ways that different codes and ciphers operate. . . . While it's all about maths, [The Mathematics of Secrets] is accessible--basic high school algebra is all that's needed to understand and enjoy it. --Cosmos Magazine

This is a fascinating tour of the mathematics behind cryptography, showing how its principles underpin the ways that different codes and ciphers operate. . . . While it's all about maths, the book is accessible--basic high school algebra is all that's needed to understand and enjoy it. --Cosmos Magazine The best book I have seen on this subject. --Phil Dyke, Leonardo Reviews Complete in surveying cryptography. . . . This is a marvelous way of illustrating the use of simple mathematics in an important application that has triggered the wit of the designers and the ingenuity of the attackers since antiquity. --Adhemar Bultheel, European Mathematical Society In The Mathematics of Secrets, Joshua Holden takes the reader on a chronological journey from Julius Caesar's substitution cipher to modern day public-key algorithms and beyond. . . . Written for anyone with an interest in cryptography. --Noel-Ann Bradshaw, Times Higher Education

Author Information

Joshua Holden is professor of mathematics at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

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