RSA CRYPTOGRAPHY

RSA is used to secure internet use and our current banking systems. It uses modular arithmetic (which you will come across if you continue studying mathematics) and very large prime numbers.

This project involves two tasks.

1. Research the history of RSA including who came up with the original idea and who made money from it.
2. Explain the mathematics behind RSA giving an example of how it works using small prime numbers.

One source of information is ‘The Code Book’ by Simon Singh which can be obtained from the public library. Otherwise any book on cryptography or an internet search should help.

Developed by Susan Worsley

http://www.maths.uq.edu.au