SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

November 22, 2024

Fields Institute Graduate School Information Day
222 Colege Street, Toronto

Saturday, November 18, 2006

On the afternoon of November 18, The Fields Institute will be hosting an information session for universities to display information on their graduate programs in mathematics, statistics and some computer science programs. As part of the day's activities there will be two keynote lectures aimed at undergraduate students in the mathematical sciences. Please join us for this event and this opportunity to talk to representatives from the various university graduate programs.
All are welcome.
We are making a table (and poster board if requested) available to each university. Universities who wish to participate, and who have not already contacted The Fields Institute to confirm their participation should do so by sending an e-mail to the address listed below. Universities with several departments are asked to cooperate on using the space.
Fields can assist Universities with renting a van or bus to facilitate student travel for the afternoon, to request assistance please contact programs(PUT_AT_SIGN_HERE)fields.utoronto.ca

SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY

12:30 p.m.

Open time--University Information Sessions

 
1:00 p.m.

Speaker: Renate Scheidler
Centre for Information Security and Cryptography, University of Calgary

Cryptography - the Art of Secret Writing - From Old to New
Cryptography -- literally, "hidden writing", from the Greek -- is probably as old as writing itself. Whether it is a crucial military dispatch or a secret love letter, people have been attempting to hide their private messages from prying eyes throughout history.

Since the revolution in computing and communication technology a few decades ago, we have been sending more information across unprotected channels -- such as mobile phones and the internet -- and storing more data without proper protection from unauthorized intrusion than ever before. Alas, there is a price: virus-infected computers, defaced web sites, and credit card numbers stolen over the internet, to name just a few.

Why are we unable to solve the problem of secure communication? Or are we? This lecture will give a whirlwind tour of cryptography from ancient and not so ancient times to the present. We will look at old and new challenges in cryptography and information security, and see how modern technology has revolutionized the field.

2:00 p.m. Reception and University Information Sessions

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