The Mathematics of Secrets

This is a fascinating tour of the mathematics behind cryptography, showing how its principles underpin the ways that different codes and ciphers operate. . . . While it's all about maths, the book is accessible--basic high school algebra is all that's needed to understand and enjoy it. --Cosmos Magazine The best book I have seen on this subject. --Phil Dyke, Leonardo Reviews Complete in surveying cryptography. . . . This is a marvelous way of illustrating the use of simple mathematics in an important application that has triggered the wit of the designers and the ingenuity of the attackers since antiquity. --Adhemar Bultheel, European Mathematical Society In The Mathematics of Secrets, Joshua Holden takes the reader on a chronological journey from Julius Caesar's substitution cipher to modern day public-key algorithms and beyond. . . . Written for anyone with an interest in cryptography. --Noel-Ann Bradshaw, Times Higher Education