Introduction to Modern Cryptography

I typically teach CSE4702, which is cross-listed with CSE5852, in the Fall semester. The course focuses on the formal, mathematical development of cryptography based on complexity-theoretic hardness assumptions. More generally, the course studies how basic cryptographic primitives can be combined to yield more sophisticated tools. The topics vary a bit from year to year, but always cover:

• Elements of information-theoretic cryptography; one-time pads.
• Pseudorandom generators and their relationship to complexity-theoretic assumptions. Pseudorandom functions.
• Elements of symmetric cryptography: encryption, formal security definitions, message authentication codes.
• Elements of public-key cryptography: encryption, digital signatures.

The course is taught from the excellent textbook by Katz and Lindell.

I use the School’s moodle server to administer the course.