Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Math Encounters: "Shh! The Mathematics of Secrets"
Information permeates our lives: we send texts, shop online, pay bills, type emails, and store pictures and medical data in “the cloud.” Hidden from view is the mathematics needed to make information transfer efficient and secure. Join mathematician Adriana Salerno for an overview of the history and evolution of coding (turning information into numbers) and encryption (securing the information), from ancient times to the modern era — and see how mathematics is the key to it all!
Special introduction by David Reimann, Visiting Professor for Outreach at MoMath.
Math Encounters is MoMath’s popular free public presentation series celebrating the spectacular world of mathematics. This program is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division.
Math Encounters: "Shh! The Mathematics of Secrets"
Information permeates our lives: we send texts, shop online, pay bills, type emails, and store pictures and medical data in “the cloud.” Hidden from view is the mathematics needed to make information transfer efficient and secure. Join mathematician Adriana Salerno for an overview of the history and evolution of coding (turning information into numbers) and encryption (securing the information), from ancient times to the modern era — and see how mathematics is the key to it all!
Special introduction by David Reimann, Visiting Professor for Outreach at MoMath.
Math Encounters is MoMath’s popular free public presentation series celebrating the spectacular world of mathematics. This program is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division.
