Course Calendar
We will cover the following topics in applied cryptography: introduction/review, post-quantum-secure encryption & applications (private information retrieval and fully homomorphic encryption), cryptographic proof systems, multi-party computation, cryptanalysis & computationally hard problems and project presentations. See the course overview for details on the course content and prerequisites.
Textbook: This course will not use a textbook. (Most of the topics we will teach are too new to appear in textbooks.) Ron Rivest has compiled a comprehensive list of readings on cryptography and computer security. If you are interested in going deeper into any topic, or if you need ideas for your final project, these references are a great place to start.
Course policies: Please read them carefully. You are responsible for knowing and following all of the policies—especially the collaboration policy and the policy on AI assistants (GPT and friends). Please do not make us sad, and yourself even more sad, by violating the collaboration policy.
Warning: We may change any content on this website, including the calendar, at any time.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| feb 5🎬 Lecture 1, hcg Overview of crypto; Overview of class, Why post-quantum crypto? First day of classes |
feb 6 Published: Pset 1 |
feb 7🎬 Lecture 2, hcg AES |
feb 8 | feb 9🎬 Recitation 1, kz Review: One-way functions, collision resistance, AES, linear algebra DUE: Review course policies. Registration deadline |
| feb 12🎬 Lecture 3, yk Symmetric Encryption: Construction from PRF |
feb 13 | feb 14🎬 Lecture 4, yk Public-key Encryption: Constructions from LWE (Regev) |
feb 15 | feb 16🎬 Recitation 2, sw x DUE: Pset 1 DUE: Read about final project |
| feb 19🎬 Presidents' day |
feb 20 Lecture 5, ah PIR from LHE Published: Pset 2 Monday classes held |
feb 21🎬 Lecture 6, hcg PIR extensions |
feb 22 | feb 23🎬 Recitation 3, kc Choosing a project topic |
| feb 26🎬 Lecture 7, hcg Public-key encryption and its implementation DUE: Post a project idea in the "Search for teammates" post on Piazza. See details on project page. |
feb 27 | feb 28🎬 Lecture 8, ah FHE - Part I |
feb 29 | mar 1🎬 Recitation 4, kz LWE and PIR DUE: List of team members, preliminary topic(s), regular weekly meeting time. DUE: Pset 2 |
| mar 4🎬 Lecture 9, ah FHE - Part II Discuss your project with TAs |
mar 5 Published: Pset 3 Discuss your project with TAs |
mar 6🎬 Lecture 10, yk Proof systems intro Discuss your project with TAs |
mar 7 Discuss your project with TAs |
mar 8🎬 Recitation 5, kc Complexity and FHE review DUE: Project check-in ADD DATE |
| mar 11🎬 Lecture 11, yk Sumcheck DUE: If TA requests: response to TA project-topic feedback from last week |
mar 12 | mar 13🎬 Lecture 12, yk GKR |
mar 14 | mar 15🎬 Recitation 6, sw x DUE: Project check-in DUE: Pset 3 |
| mar 18🎬 Lecture 13, yk SNARGs for NP |
mar 19 | mar 20🎬 Lecture 14, hcg Lattice-based signatures |
mar 21 | mar 22🎬 Recitation 7, kz x DUE: One-page project proposal |
| mar 25🎬 Spring break |
mar 26 Spring break |
mar 27🎬 Spring break |
mar 28 Spring break |
mar 29 Spring break |
| apr 1🎬 Lecture 15, yk Secret sharing Discuss your project with TAs |
apr 2 Published: Pset 4 Discuss your project with TAs |
apr 3🎬 Lecture 16, yk MPC: Intro and definition Discuss your project with TAs |
apr 4 Discuss your project with TAs |
apr 5🎬 Recitation 8, kc Review - commitment schemes, secret sharing DUE: Project check-in, response to TA feedback |
| apr 8🎬 Lecture 17, yk MPC: BGW construction |
apr 9 | apr 10🎬 Lecture 18, hcg MPC: Applications |
apr 11 | apr 12🎬 Recitation 9, sw x DUE: Project check-in DUE: Pset 4 |
| apr 15🎬 Patriots' day |
apr 16 | apr 17🎬 Midterm quiz |
apr 18 | apr 19🎬 Recitation 10, kz Secret Sharing and MPC Review |
| apr 22🎬 Lecture 19, hcg Preprocessing attacks |
apr 23 DROP DATE |
apr 24🎬 Lecture 20, hcg Public-key cryptanalysis |
apr 25 | apr 26🎬 Recitation 11, kc x DUE: Project check-in |
| apr 29🎬 Lecture 21, guest Guest lecture: Ron Rivest and Jim Bidzos |
apr 30 | may 1🎬 Lecture 22, guest Guest lecture: Panel discussion with Ron and Jim |
may 2 | may 3🎬 Recitation 12, sw x |
| may 6🎬 Lecture 23, hcg&yk Open questions |
may 7 | may 8🎬 Project presentations |
may 9 | may 10 |
| may 13🎬 Project presentations |
may 14 DUE: Final project report Last day of classes |
may 15 | may 16 | may 17 Final exam period |
| may 20 Final exam period |
may 21 Final exam period |
may 22 Final exam period |
may 23 | may 24 |
Course website design courtesy of PDOS and Katrina LaCurts.