The purpose of this assignment is to experiment with algorithms for integer factorization (Pollard's p-1 method, Dixon's algorithm and Pomerance's improvement to Dixon's algorithm called the quadratic sieve). This assignment provides an overview of some state-of-the-art factorization algorithms that include some of the best attempts to break RSA. The assignment also continues with the use of Maple and shows the many algorithms that are provided that aid in the implementation of number theory algorithms (e.g. the legendre symbol, solution of modular equations, matrix manipulation and modular Gaussian elimination).
The assignment must be submitted as a Maple 10 worksheet, and computations and programming should be done with Maple, and should be submitted via webct.
You should read chapters 5 and 8 of the text (and may need to review some of the background material on quadratic residues). See lectures 12 and 13. The worksheets in these lectures provided examples and illustrate Maple commands that are needed for the assignment.