Research/Technical Note
Two Novel Multidimensional Affine Variations of the Hill Cipher
Porter Eldridge Coggins*
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 3, June 2024
Pages:
46-56
Received:
14 June 2024
Accepted:
2 July 2024
Published:
23 July 2024
Abstract: Two novel symmetric multidimensional affine nested variations of the Hill Cipher are presented. The Hill Cipher is a block polygraphic substitution encryption scheme based on a linear transformation of plaintext characters into ciphertext characters. In the time since Hill first published his encryption scheme, variations, modifications, and improvements of theoretical and practical importance have been published every year indicating that the Hill Cipher is an active area of cryptography research. The first variation presented in this paper incorporated invertible key matrices of orders 2, 4, and 8 such that the matrix values of the 2×2 matrix rotate positions with each block of characters in a similar manner to the rotating letter wheels of a German Enigma Encoder, then results of the 2×2 key matrices output are passed to 4×4 key matrices, and 8x8 key matrix, 4×4 key matrices, and rotative-value 2×2 key matrices. The second variation is configured with invertible key matrices of orders 4, 8, and 16 without rotation of matrix values in a similar manner to the first variation. In both variations, plaintext characters of each block are operated on by exclusive-or (XOR) vectors prior to multiplication with the matrices to create the affine ciphers. Strengths, weaknesses, and other considerations are provided in the discussion. Two proposals are also argued with rationale for a more robust character set for encryption and the increase in modulus that the character set allows, and the possible advantages and disadvantages of affine XOR vectors.
Abstract: Two novel symmetric multidimensional affine nested variations of the Hill Cipher are presented. The Hill Cipher is a block polygraphic substitution encryption scheme based on a linear transformation of plaintext characters into ciphertext characters. In the time since Hill first published his encryption scheme, variations, modifications, and improv...
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Research Article
Representation and Generation of Prime and Coprime Numbers by Using Structured Algebraic Sums
Ioannis Papadakis*
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 3, June 2024
Pages:
57-63
Received:
11 July 2024
Accepted:
29 July 2024
Published:
15 August 2024
Abstract: The algebraic structure and distribution of prime numbers remain two of the most fundamental problems in mathematics. The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, proved by Euclid, and Goldbach’s conjecture, while universal in scope with respect to how numbers can be represented multiplicatively or additively, do not provide insights into the structure of primes. Similarly, the definition of a prime −as a number divisible only by 1 and itself− or a sieve algorithm, commonly used to generate primes by successively eliminating multiples, offer no insight into the structure of primes. The powerful and persistent consideration of prime numbers as universal “arithmetic quanta” has not necessitated an equally powerful need for parallel research into a deeper and possibly more insightful explanation of primeness, that is, a better understanding of “why” a number is prime. In this paper, prime and coprime numbers are represented and generated by algebraic expressions. Specifically, given the first n primes, p1, p2,…, pn, sufficient conditions are given for expressing primes greater than pn, and coprimes with prime factors greater than pn, as algebraic functions of p1, p2,…, pn. Thus, primality and co-primality are shown to be mathematical properties with inherently evolutionary algebraic characteristics, since larger primes and coprimes can be generated algebraically from smaller ones. The methodology described in the paper can be a useful tool in the study and analysis of the complexity, structure, interrelationships and distribution of primes and coprimes.
Abstract: The algebraic structure and distribution of prime numbers remain two of the most fundamental problems in mathematics. The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, proved by Euclid, and Goldbach’s conjecture, while universal in scope with respect to how numbers can be represented multiplicatively or additively, do not provide insights into the structure o...
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