Certificate of Achievement
has completed the following course:
The Mathematics of Cryptography: From Ancient Rome to a Quantum Future
This course explored the history of cryptography, and the mathematical developments used to create and break codes
3 weeks, 4 hours per week
Dr Stephen Connor
Senior Lecturer in Mathematics
University of York
Transcript
Learning outcomes
- Summarise the history of cryptography, and the role played by mathematics in cracking some famous ciphers.
- Assess how the concepts of frequency analysis and modular arithmetic can be applied to code-breaking.
- Calculate with permutations and analyse their cycle structure.
- Explain the importance of prime numbers and factorisation to the security of modern day communications
Syllabus
- The Caesar ciphers, substitution codes, and the Vigenere cipher: the development of codes from Roman times through to the 19th century.
- The Enigma Machine in the Second World War: how it worked, and how it was cracked.
- Public Key Cryptography: the algorithms and mathematics behind modern secure communications.
- The future of cryptography: how quantum computers will change everything.
Issued on 28th May 2025
The person named on this certificate has completed the activities in the transcript above. For more information about Certificates of Achievement and the effort required to become eligible, visit futurelearn.com/proof-of-learning/certificate-of-achievement.
This certificate represents proof of learning. It is not a formal qualification, degree, or part of a degree.
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