Re: Cryptanalysis

["E. ALLEN SMITH" <EALLENSMITH@ocelot.Rutgers.EDU>]

From: tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)

>The usual: Kahn, Denning, and some of the old Dover Press books on crypto.
>Also, Herbert Zim wrote a nice little book about 40-50 years ago on codes.
>Some of the standard crypto textbooks will of course have more pointers to
>cryptanalysis. (Not to sound harsh to Allen, but why would anyone ask here
>on the list for recommendations to such a standard subject when Schneier,
>Garfinkel, Denning, etc. all have books listed?)

	Thanks, I'll check. I don't happen to _have_ a copy of Applied
Cryptography, etcetera, immediately available, and I had gotten the impression
that those concentrated on cyphers as opposed to codes.

>And there are so many interesting areas to pursue with using and furthering
>modern crypto, that I just can't understand how people can think that
>classical cryptanalysis is useful. It might be fun, as a hobby, but it has
>no bearing on modern systems. (Well, I'm exaggerating a bit. I suspect that
>classical cryptanalysts at the NSA or GCHQ might have some insights into
>some problems with modern systems, such as traffic analysis. So I shouldn't
>say there is "no use" for it. But I hope you all understand my point in
>general. It is unlikely in the extreme that anyone who fools around a
>little with classical cryptanalysis will have anything important to
>contribute as a result of this.)

	I never said I was interested in putting stuff about codes into
practical usage. Actually, I'm a roleplaying gamer, and I wanted the info for
historical settings. True codes appear to be the historical equivalent of OTPs.
	-Allen