SUNY Geneseo Department of Computer Science

Introduction

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Welcome

…to Intd 105 “Secrets and Secret Codes”

I’m Doug Baldwin (math professor; from computer science; long fascination with combination of cleverness, technology, really surprising results, and sometimes colorful personalities in cryptography)

Who are you? (generally attracted to section because topic sounds interesting (or at least the least bad of the choices); many, but not all from biology or other sciences)

Why Take a Writing Course?

I mis-spoke (or mis-wrote) above: the name is “Writing Seminar: Secrets and Secret Codes,” and the “writing seminar” part will actually take up most of our time.

Is that a good thing, and why or why not?

• Writing is important in college, all majors, and elsewhere, all professions
• A first year course puts everyone on common level
• Course provides well-rounded-ness
• Communication: share ideas with others, future generations, etc.
• Writing has a permanence that oral tradition doesn’t
• Writing as end-point of thinking

Syllabus

Available online

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Cryptography and cryptanalysis in “The Adventure of the Dancing Men”

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