Study Guide for First Exam

CS 303 Algorithmic Number Theory and Cryptography
Instructor: Jeremy Johnson 
Exam date: (In class on Thur. April 30)


Students are responsible for material in Chapters 1-4 of the text, including questions in the back of each chapter, along with the Maple worksheets and materials for Lectures 1-9. You should be able to do simple proofs using induction related to the number theory concepts and algorithms that were presented. The exam will not include nor use Maple and will be closed book, though you may bring one sheet of notes and a calculator.

There will be four problems (problems may have multiple parts). Problems will include a mix of computation, algorithms, and proof. Possible problems include.
  1. A problem on substitution cyphers and cryptanalysis
  2. An inductive proof.
  3. A problem related to the Euclidean (including extended) algorithm.
  4. A problem involving modular arithmetic and Fermat's (Euler's) theorem.
  5. A problem involving public key cryptograpphy and RSA encryption/decryption.

Exam Rules

  1. You will have the full class time to complete the exam.
  2. The exam is closed book, though you may use one page of notes.
  3. You may use a calculator, though problems, including computational problems, will be devised so that they can be done by hand.
  4. The exam will be a paper and pencil exam and will not use Maple (the second exam will involve Maple).