16.5 dec 9, 2015

It's neat that addition on an elliptic curve translates so easily to El Gamal cryptosystem. When I say easily, I mean that it's neat that the multiplication in El Gamal translates directly to addition on the elliptic curve.  I'm still confused on how we solve discrete logs and how we attack El Gamal elliptic Curve problems.  

16.4

First off, I gotta say-- Elliptic curves seemed so intimidating from the readings, but when we get to class and do the homework, it makes sense! Thanks for your help!

I'm still a little confused when subtracting points.  I know that you add the negative, but I'm not sure how to negate a point.

When adding points on the ec mod 2, do you just follow the same rules we've been using before?

16.3 Dec 4

It's neat to see some of the same tools we learned about originally coming back to help in a variety of situations like the gcd and the Chineese Remainder Theorem.

Can we pick any arbitrary equation and point mod n to factor n?  I was also confused in the second example how they started by trying to calculate 10!.  I don't know where the factorial came from as it wasn't in the first example at all. 

16.2 December 2

Combing discrete logs and elliptic curves sound like quite the problem! I don't get why we need to solve for certain exponents with elliptic curves.  Solving with elliptic curves in mod n seems about the same process at the regular elliptic curve problems  

16.1 Nov. 30th

I am confused about what an elliptic curve is.  I imaged it as the curve of an ellipse, but the graphs didn't make it look like that.  Also, I'm not sure how the addition rule of elliptical curves applies to cryptography.  

article and 19.3 Nov. 20

One thing that I am still confused about what a quantum computer does and how it is different from a normal computer.  Also, what do they mean about creating a superposition?  It's a neat that we can look at powers of a number and look and the modulus classes which creates a pattern. I'd never thought about looking for patterns that way before.  

19.1-19.2 Nov. 18

I've heard about quantum physics before and the whole world confused me. There is obvious structure and patterns in the world we live in so I don't get how we can make it so random and abstract as they do in the quantum world. How can we create laws to study quantum and then apply it to cryptography?