Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description
The Mathematics and Politics of Secure Digital Communication
Instructor(s): Gove Effinger (Math & Computer Science)
What actually happens when a message you send or receive by computer or phone is “encrypted”?
Is it possible for a third party to “decrypt” this message? When is it ethical or
legal for third party to try that? How does the current political climate affect how
we and our leaders decide where the line between ethical/legal and unethical/ illegal
gets drawn with respect to digital privacy? The course examines questions like these
while focusing on the simple but very beautiful mathematics behind creating secure
digital communications.