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Cornell UniversityMathematics 135-The Art of Secret WritingSection: 01Lecture: MTWRF 10:00–11:15 a.m. in Malott Hall, room 206Professor: Michael KozdronOffice: 543 Malott HallPhone: 255-3685Email (Cornell): [email protected] Page (Cornell): http://www.math.cornell.edu/∼kozdron/Email (Regina): [email protected] Page (Regina): http://stat.math.uregina.ca/∼kozdron/Office Hours: After class, or by appointmentRequired Text:• Thomas Barr, Invitation to Cryptology, Prentice Hall, 2002.Optional Text:• Simon Singh, The Code Book, Anchor Books, 1999.Course Description:3 credits. The course examines classical and modern methods of message encryption, decryption, andcryptoanalysis. We develop mathematical tools to describe these methods (modular arithmetic, proba-bility, matrix arithmetic, number theory) and become acquainted with some of the fascinating historyof the methods and people involved.Prerequisites:3 years of high school mathematics.General Policies:The policies on this page supplement those of the Cornell Summer Session. Students should notethat “every summer registrant is considered a student and is subject to the general regulations gov-erning student conduct that apply to all other students of the university.” Students are expected tobe familiar with the contents of the Campus Code of Conduct; for further information about studentconduct, consult the Cornell Summer Session web page. Although this is a summer class, it is expectedthat the material covered in Math 135 remains consistent from seme ster to semester. For that reason,we will cover the same material as during the fall and spring sessions, and have a comparable final exam.Grading Information:Your final grade will be determined by your performance in the course, including class participation,homework, prelims, and the final exam.Evaluation Type Number Percentage of Final GradeClass Participation - 5%Homework 6 15%Prelim Exams 2 40%Final Exam 1 40%Class Participation:This catch-all category is intended to help encourage student participation in this class. There are threebasic forms of “participation” which include: asking and answering questions in class, attending officehours, and contributing to classroom discussions. I will be available for extra help after most classes,and I strongly encourage you to stay around and ask questions if something is difficult. Periodically,there may also be short quizzes which will consist of one or two routine questions. The purpose of thequizzes is to ensure that the students are mastering the absolute basics of the course, and are attemptingto keep up with the material. Quizzes will always be announced in advance.Homework:As is the norm in a university course, it is not possible to cover all of the required mate rial in lecture.As a result, each student must take an active role in his or her own education. Mathematics (andespecially cryptography) is not a spectator sport. It cannot be learned passively only by watching theinstructor lecture. Instead it must be learned by doing. Consequently, most of what you learn in thiscourse will be the result of working exercises that are designed to reinforce key c oncepts, develop skills,and test your understanding of the material. Before you try working the exercises, however, do thereading assignment. Reading the text will help you review the important concepts before you starton the exercises. Some of the exercises are straightforward, others are very complex. After each classmeeting, you should work all problems assigned from the section discussed that class. It is expe cted thatstudents are spending 2–4 hours per day reviewing material and doing homework. You are encouragedto talk with your classmates about the homework; you might even want to form a study group to worktogether on the most difficult homework problems. However, all problems you submit must be your ownwork. It is dishonest, and a violation of Cornell’s Code of Academic Integrity, to submitsomeone else’s work as your own.Prelim Exams:There will be two major term tests, known at Cornell as Prelim Exams, that will be given during thesemester. All prelims will be closed-book, and no aids will be allowed. Each prelim will be a compre-hensive test of all of the material covered on the syllabus b efore that prelim, including lectures, assignedreadings, and homework assignments.Final Exam:As with the prelims, the final exam will be closed-book and no aids will be allowed. The final exam willbe comprehensive and cover all of the material listed on the syllabus.Exam Dates:The prelims will take place during the regular class time on the dates listed below. The final exam willtake place in our usual classroom at a time scheduled by the Summer Session regis trar.• Prelim 1: Monday, July 10, 2006, 10:00–11:15 a.m.• Prelim 2: Monday, July 24, 2006, 10:00–11:15 a.m.• Final Exam: Tuesday, August 8, 2006, 8:00–10:30 a.m.It is possible that these dates may include Religious Holidays for some students. NYS Education Lawsection 224-A mandates that faculty make available an opp ortunity to make up any examination missedbecause of religious beliefs. In order to facilitate preparation of makeup exams, I request that studentsintending to be absent in order to observe a religious holiday notify me by June 30, 2006.2Policy for Missed Classes, Missed Prelims, and Missed Final Exam:Students should familiarize themselves with the section on Class Attendance, Meeting Times, and Ex-aminations on pages 14–15 of 2005–2006 Courses of Study.Web Site:I have written a web site for this section. The URL ishttp://www.math.cornell.edu/∼kozdron/Teaching/Cornell/135Summer06/ (Cornell)http://stat.math.uregina.ca/∼kozdron/Teaching/Cornell/135Summer06/ (Regina).I will be updating this site throughout the term and you will be able to download any handouts thatyou don’t get in class. I’ve included information about the course, the textbooks, and calculus in general.Email:Email w ill be a significant form of course related communication between both students and the instruc-tor. Therefore, please check your email regularly for course updates and homework/prelim information.Feel free to email your questions to me. I will endeavour to respond within 24 hours. Should you notreceive a reply within 24 hours, try sending the message again, or ask me in pe rson if I received your mail.Academic Integrity:For a university community of scholars, academic


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CORNELL MATH 135 - Syllabus

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