Skip to 0 minutes and 6 seconds The ability to use codes to send secret messages has been of critical importance to civilisations for thousands of years. In modern everyday life, our ability to share confidential messages with one another underpins the security of internet banking, online shopping and instant messaging services. Mathematics has famously been used to break codes such as that used by the Enigma Machine in World War II. But maths also forms the foundation of all cutting edge cryptographic techniques. In this three-week course you will explore the history of cryptography, with an emphasis on the mathematical developments used to create – and break – some of the strongest codes known.
Skip to 0 minutes and 53 seconds You will investigate permutations, modular arithmetic, prime numbers and more, as we examine the codes used by Roman emperors, Nazi Germany, and modern electronic communications. You’ll also learn about the exciting development of quantum computers, and what they might mean for the future of cryptography. You will join some of York’s world-renowned mathematicians – specialists in number theory, statistics and quantum information – as they lead you through this fascinating and far-reaching topic. So join us to explore the mathematics of cryptography, and learn to unlock the secrets behind secure communication.
