This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Undergraduate Handbook 2021-2022 (archived)

Module COMP3491: CODES AND CRYPTOGRAPHY

Department: Computer Science

COMP3491: CODES AND CRYPTOGRAPHY

Type	Level	Credits	Availability	Module Cap	Location
Open	3	20	Available in 2021/2022	None.	Durham

Pre-requisites

COMP2181 Theory of Computation AND (COMP2271 Data Science OR COMP2231 Software Methodologies)

Corequisites

None

Excluded Combinations

MATH3401 Cryptography and Codes III

Aims

To give an introduction to the fundamental steps of a digital communication system: compression/decompression, encryption/decryption, error control coding/decoding
To give an introduction to the theoretical limitations of those steps via information theory understand the information theoretic limitations of the three domains above

Content

Data compression: lossless compression such as Huffman and Lempel-Ziv, lossy compression such as transform coding and wavelet compression
Cryptography: block ciphers, hash functions, public key cryptography, signature schemes, lattice-based cryptography
Error-correcting codes: linear codes including Hamming codes, BCH and Reed-Solomon codes, code-based cryptography
Information Theory: Entropy, channel capacity, data compression, information-theoretic cryptography

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge

On completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate:
an understanding of the theory and practice of data compression, cryptography, and error-correcting codes
an understanding of the main results of information theory

Subject-specific Skills

On completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate:
an ability to assess the suitability of different parts of a digital communication system
an ability to design data compression, cryptographic and error control systems
an ability to theoretically analyse the performance and limitations of these systems.

Key Skills

On completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate:
an ability to assess a given system
an ability to develop theoretical reasoning

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Lectures enable the students to learn new material relevant to codes and cryptography.
Summative assessments enable the students to put into practice learning from lectures and strengthen their understanding through application.
Examinations assess an understanding of core concepts and the application of methods and techniques.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total Hours
Lectures	44	2 per week	1 hour	44
Preparation and reading				156
total				200

Summative Assessment

Component	Component Weighting	Element	Length/Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Examination	50%	Examination	2 hours	100%	No
Coursework	50%	Summative Assignment		100%	No

Formative Assessment

Example formative exercises are given during the course. Additional revision lectures may be arranged in the module's lecture slots in the 3rd term.

Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.