Introduction to Cryptography - Paperback

by Johannes Buchmann (Author)

Cryptography is a key technology in electronic security systems. Modern cryptograpic techniques have many uses, such as to digitally sign documents, for access control, to implement electronic money, and for copyright protection. Because of these important uses it is necessary that users be able to estimate the efficiency and security of cryptographic techniques. It is not sufficient for them to know only how the techniques work. This book is written for readers who want to learn about mod- ern cryptographic algorithms and their mathematical foundation but who do not have the necessary mathematical background. It is my goal to explain the basic techniques of modern cryptography, including the necessary mathematical results from linear algebra, algebra, number theory, and probability theory. I assume only basic mathematical knowledge. The book is based on courses in cryptography that I have been teaching at the Technical University, Darmstadt, since 1996. I thank all students who attended the courses and who read the manuscript carefully for their interest and support. In particular, I would like to thank Harald Baier, Gabi Barking, Manuel Breuning, Sa- fuat Hamdy, Birgit Henhapl, Michael Jacobson (who also corrected my English), Andreas Kottig, Markus Maurer, Andreas Meyer, Stefan v vi Preface Neis, Sachar Paulus, Thomas Pfahler, Marita Skrobic, Edlyn Thske, Patrick Theobald, and Ralf-Philipp Weinmann. I also thank the staff at Springer-Verlag, in particular Martin Peters, Agnes Herrmann, Claudia Kehl, Ina Lindemann, and Thrry Kornak, for their support in the preparation of this book.

Back Jacket

Cryptography is a key technology in electronic key systems. It is used to keep data secret, digitally sign documents, access control, etc. Therefore, users should not only know how its techniques work, but they must also be able to estimate their efficiency and security. For this new edition, the author has updated the discussion of the security of encryption and signature schemes and recent advances in factoring and computing discrete logarithms. He has also added descriptions of time-memory trade of attacks and algebraic attacks on block ciphers, the Advanced Encryption Standard, the Secure Hash Algorithm, secret sharing schemes, and undeniable and blind signatures.

Johannes A. Buchmann is a Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics at the Technical University of Darmstadt, and the Associate Editor of the Journal of Cryptology. In 1985, he received the Feodor Lynen Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Furthermore, he has received the most prestigious award in science in Germany, the Leibniz Award of the German Science Foundation.

About the first edition:

It is amazing how much Buchmann is able to do in under 300 pages: self-contained explanations of the relevant mathematics (with proofs); a systematic introduction to symmetric cryptosystems, including a detailed description and discussion of DES; a good treatment of primality testing, integer factorization, and algorithms for discrete logarithms; clearly written sections describing most of the major types of cryptosystems....This book is an excellent reference, and I believe it would also be a good textbook for a course for mathematics or computer science majors..."

-Neal Koblitz, The American Mathematical Monthly