Cryptography, which is known as the science of information integrity, is an essential component of the development of secure communication over insecure networks. Its practical use has exploded in recent years due to its many applications, such as elecronic commerce on the Internet. The deployment of cryptography incorporates many facets, including the study of underlying mathematical problems, the development and analysis of efficient algorithms, and the implementation of these algorithms in conjunction with product development. The field of cryptography thus includes researchers in pure mathematics, computer science and electrical engineering. The talks in this short course will provide an introductory overview of cryptogaphy, a more detailed discussion of some of the mathematical aspects of cryptography, and a look at one of the frontiers of computer science, quantum computing, and its potential impact on cryptography.

Speakers:

Doug Stinson (Waterloo)
Introduction to Cryptography

Neal Koblitz (Washington)
Elliptic Curve Cryptography

Hugh Williams (Calgary)
Algorithmic Number Theory

Mike Mosca (Waterloo)
Quantum Computing and Quantum Cryptography

Registrants will be welcome to participate in the other events of the Canadian Mathematical Society meeting that day including a delegates lunch at the Pan Pacific hotel and two plenary lectures, one by Madhu Sudan ("List decoding of error-correcting codes") and one by Deborah Ball and Hyman Bass (Education). The registration fee is $150 Canadian. For registration and other information including the detailed schedule for all the events that day, please visit the Canadian Mathematical Society web site at http://www.cms.math.ca/ and follow the link to our meeting information.