Mandiloquence Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 (edited) Hi everyone! I submitted my topic decision, and decided that I'm going to discuss cryptography and submit it as a mathematics paper. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to contact my advisor for quite a while, and recently learned that she had surgery, and will be in the hospital for a while.While she is in the hospital, I need to narrow down my topic, and make sure it contains enough mathematics to be submitted as a mathematics paper.So here is what I've come up with so far:The Development and Application of Various Methods in CryptographyHash Functions in CryptanalysisThe Theoretical Foundations of CryptographyThe Vigenere Cipher and Its Impact on Cryptography (including ways to break it using cryptanalysis)Cryptanalysis: Mathematical Methods for Attacking CiphersVarious Machines That Have Been Used To Encipher and DecipherI would appreciate any insight or other ideas that could improve my EE! Edited April 17, 2008 by greekamprincess Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruan Chun Xian Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 The Development and Application of Various Methods in CryptographyLittle room for analysis. Sounds very narrative.Hash Functions in CryptanalysisWhat about it? Even something like "The role of hash functions in crytanalysis" still sounds very narrativeThe Theoretical Foundations of CryptographyAgain too narrativeThe Vigenere Cipher and Its Impact on Cryptography (including ways to break it using cryptanalysis)BetterCryptanalysis: Mathematical Methods for Attacking CiphersAgain, narrative.Various Machines That Have Been Used To Encipher and DecipherWhat about them?What you have to realise is that the EE is a research, analytical essay. Your topic has to have enough ground for analysis so that you're not just going to spend the whole 4000 words describing the history or role of something. in a Maths EE you're supposed to have a large amount of working maths - equations, working out stuff on your own, whatever. You can go as low as 3000 words in your maths EE if you have a sufficient mathematical portion in your essay. Compare something, analyse the significance of something's role (compared to...) in something else. Don't just describe. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandiloquence Posted April 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Thank you so much! So, I could compare the strength of two ciphers and use mathematical equations to show how they would be broken? Thank you thank you thank you! I can definitely get ideas from that! Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandiloquence Posted April 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 (edited) Ah, apparently I was just kidding about using that. My advisor said that I should choose something else, though didn't give any suggestions as to what. And I found out that the reason she is out is because she had her gallbladder removed; she is going to be out for the rest of the year. So I probably won't see her until August. I was thinking about choosing another advisor...but she's one of two IB math teachers, and the other teacher only teaches math studies. My advisor teaches HL and SL methods, as well as all of the calculus classes the school offers...so there isn't really anyone else who is qualified...gah. Edited April 26, 2008 by Mandiloquence Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deissi Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 Ah, apparently I was just kidding about using that. My advisor said that I should choose something else, though didn't give any suggestions as to what. And I found out that the reason she is out is because she had her gallbladder removed; she is going to be out for the rest of the year. So I probably won't see her until August. I was thinking about choosing another advisor...but she's one of two IB math teachers, and the other teacher only teaches math studies. My advisor teaches HL and SL methods, as well as all of the calculus classes the school offers...so there isn't really anyone else who is qualified...gah. Well, this sounds like a pretty random idea but what about you try finding out whether you could find a math student in university to help you with it and then get the math studies teacher to help you with the formal requirements? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandiloquence Posted May 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 Well, this sounds like a pretty random idea but what about you try finding out whether you could find a math student in university to help you with it and then get the math studies teacher to help you with the formal requirements?Actually, I did think of that. However, when I asked the math studies teacher she said she wasn't accepting the position of advisor for EEs, and I can't seem to find a math student in university that has enough free time to help me. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandiloquence Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Ok, so the situation has gotten slightly worse because I can't find anywhere to get information (we have to have a certain amount of sources from books). Would you reccomend changing my topic/ advisor?And has anyone else done an EE like this? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest iber2468 Posted May 15, 2008 Report Share Posted May 15, 2008 Okay, first of all, I don't recommend a Math Extended Essay.There was only one person doing it in my school and the guy came up with a NEW THEOREM to prove orthogonal triangles in a circle or something. He did his science fair on that too (won gold) so he already had the material.The problem was, even with his mathematical genius, he couldn't fluff it up enough to get it to acceptable word counts. I'm not sure what he did at the end by a few days before the deadline he wrote down everything he needed to say and it was around 2000 words.So math EEs, they either become too narrative/non-mathematical or TOO mathematical so that there aren't enough words. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deissi Posted May 16, 2008 Report Share Posted May 16, 2008 I've heard of successful ones with 1500 words, but the ones (grand total of 2) done at my school were about 3800 words, the both got A and the other one got 36/36, Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandiloquence Posted May 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 I've heard of successful ones with 1500 words, but the ones (grand total of 2) done at my school were about 3800 words, the both got A and the other one got 36/36,Gah. Well, I really don't think I'll have a problem with word count, because I LOVE cryptanalysis and cryptography in general, and there is plenty of research that I could do to help. My only problem is finding an advisor that knows at least a tiny bit about cryptography and can make sure I'm going in the right direction with my paper, and not completely wasting my time. Our school has had quite a few people that wrote their entire EEs (like someone wrote about Spanish architecture in English because their advisor said it was ok, and had to re-write it in Spanish, in a week) and have had to re-do them, and I'd love to avoid that. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandiloquence Posted June 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 Ok, I have some new topics that I'd like opinions on...A comparison of symmetric and asymmetric cryptographyA comparison of the Beaufort cipher and Bach's algorithmThe strengths and weaknesses of different methods of analyzing asymmetric cryptographyThe strengths and weaknesses of Shor's algorithm and Grover's algorithm in quantum cryptographyThe use of matrices in the Vignere cipher and methods of breaking this cipher (I'm not sure if I should do this, since I'm not comparing things...) Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
msubr1 Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 hii am thinking of doing my essay on maths as welli will be the only one if i did it though... Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLSmash Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 Ok, I have some new topics that I'd like opinions on...A comparison of symmetric and asymmetric cryptographyA comparison of the Beaufort cipher and Bach's algorithmThe strengths and weaknesses of different methods of analyzing asymmetric cryptographyThe strengths and weaknesses of Shor's algorithm and Grover's algorithm in quantum cryptographyThe use of matrices in the Vignere cipher and methods of breaking this cipher (I'm not sure if I should do this, since I'm not comparing things...)Just a little pointer, my instructor told our class to avoid comparatives in EE. Though it is perfectly fine, having a comparative means that you'll be doing 2000 words for one topic, and 2000 words for another. Now, wouldn't you rather spend a good 4000 word analysis on one single topic - ensuring you cover everything?Just my two cents. Well his really. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deissi Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 Well, the ones that start "The strengths and weaknesses.." are very narrative as topics. Means you'd just have a list of the strengths and weaknesses. What about "To what extent is A more effective than B as a method of analyzing asymmetric cryptography"? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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