Archive for February 2008
Factorization techniques
I’m supposed to be giving a presentation in a couple of weeks on modern factorization techniques, with a particular emphasis on the number field sieve.
In anticipation of this talk, I’ve decided to write up a description of some of these methods. These are mostly an adaptation of notes I’ve taken from classes and some popular texts, with a particular emphasis on concrete examples.
The notes are motivated by a running example: attacking messages encrypted using the RSA cryptosystem. Thus, to kick the whole thing off, I’ve posted an account on the working of the RSA cryptosystem under my new special section on Factorization.
Please post comments and corrections!
“Twenty years ago or so I came to the conclusion that the only people I could educate would become misfits.”
Also, “as it turns out, particularly in the USA mathematics is the pinnacle of user unfriendliness.”
I don’t think much has changed since 1985: an interview with Dijkstra.
There is an unfortunate trend that has emerged since this time, though. In the interview, Dijksra points out that the gap between universities and industries was widening at the time, although he was optimistic that the younger, more educated work force would reverse this trend. Instead, what we have seen is an industry that is frustrated with universities that encourage students to think in terms of the theory. Wanting to get good placements for their students, many universities have chosen to restructure their curriculum to be more “applied.”
Can you imagine what it would be like if mathematics were the same way? It’s one thing to acknowledge a different flavor between these two sides of our world, but to demand we teach one to the exclusion of the other? At some point, universities will need to wake up and realize that “Computer Science” is not just another name for “Software Engineering.”
