TEACHING BASIC MATHEMATICS USING CRYPTOGRAPHY
Cryptography. Mathematics. Mathematics Education
Mathematics plays a fundamental role in our daily lives, even though it often goes unnoticed. In recent years, communication through the internet, whether via cell phones, computers, or other devices, has become commonplace. The messages exchanged by users are sent encrypted, ensuring that the content cannot be read if someone tries to intercept the communication. This process is more discreet nowadays. However, this practice has existed for a long time, dating back to the era of kings and queens, many years before Christ. During that time, kings communicated with their distant allies through messages sent by messengers. Those who managed to keep their messages solely between the sender and the recipient, using secret writing, could keep their kingdoms intact even if their messages were intercepted. On the other hand, those who used weak secret writing allowed their enemies to obtain valuable information contained in the messages, which could lead to the ruin of their kingdoms. Mathematics played a crucial role in deciphering these encrypted messages in the past and has become essential in modern cryptography. This work addresses the history of cryptography, with various methods and the use of mathematics to decipher and encrypt messages. The end product is activities that can be used in the classroom to make the application of mathematics more relevant and engaging for students, demonstrating the importance of mathematics in ensuring secure communication.