1. Please answer the following questions.

(a) What are the essential ingredients of a symmetric cipher?

(b) List ways in which secret keys can be distributed to two
communicating parties.
(c) How many keys are required for twenty four people to communicate
via a symmetric cipher?
(d) List ways in which secret keys can be distributed on network to two
communicating parties.
(e) Determine if the following assertions are true.
a. −2 ≡ 31 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 11)
b. 77 ≡ 5 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 12)
c. 1111 ≡ 11 (𝑚𝑜𝑑 111)

2. For which positive integers n does the congruence 𝟕𝟓 ≡ 𝟏𝟗 (𝒎𝒐𝒅 𝒏)

hold?

3. Show that if n is odd, then 𝒏𝟐 ≡ 𝟏 (𝒎𝒐𝒅 𝟖).

4. Show that 𝟑𝟐𝒏 𝟓

+ 𝟐𝟒𝒏 𝟏
is divisible by 7 for every 𝒏 ≥ 𝟏.

5. The ciphertext YIFZMA was encrypted by a Hill cipher with matrix

𝟗 𝟏𝟑
. Find the plaintext.
𝟐 𝟑

6. The following exercises deal with divisibility tests for integers

expressed in the decimal notation. These tests have been known for a
long time but can only be rigorously established using congruences.

An integer 𝒏 = 𝒂𝒎 𝟏𝟎𝒎 + 𝒂𝒎 𝟏 𝟏𝟎𝒎 𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝒂𝟏 𝟏𝟎 + 𝒂𝒐 , with 𝟎 ≤ 𝒂𝒊 ≤ 𝟗,

and 𝟏 ≤ 𝒊 ≤ 𝒎, has the decimal representation 𝒏 = 𝒂𝒎 𝒂𝒎 𝟏 ⋯ 𝒂𝟏 𝒂𝒐 . Use
this in the following exercises.
1) Prove that n is divisible by 2 (respectively 5) if and only if 𝒂𝒐 is
divisible by 2 (respectively 5).
2) Determine the divisibility criterion for division by 3 and 9 in
terms of the digits 𝒂𝒐 , 𝒂𝟏 , ⋯ , 𝒂𝒎 .
3) Show that n is divisible by 11 if and only if

5/9/2024 S. Erfani 1
Network Security
ECE Dept. U Windsor
 (𝒂𝒐 + 𝒂𝟐 + 𝒂𝟒 + ⋯ ) − (𝒂𝟏 + 𝒂𝟑 + 𝒂𝟓 + ⋯ ) = 𝟎
4) Formulate a divisibility criterion for division by 7 and for
division by 13.

7. Determine the multiplicative inverse of 67 modulo 119.

8. Determine all solutions to the congruences 𝟕𝒙 ≡ 𝟓 (𝒎𝒐𝒅 𝟏𝟑) and

𝟒𝒙 ≡ 𝟔 (𝒎𝒐𝒅 𝟏𝟖).

9. Prove that 𝟏 + 𝟑 + 𝟓 + ••• + (𝟐𝒏 — 𝟏) = 𝑛 for all natural numbers 𝒏.

10. Solve this cryptic addition, knowing that ELEVEN is divisible by 11:
THREE+THREE+FIVE=ELEVEN

[Hint: (1): Each alphabet in the decimal number ELEVEN represents an

encrypted digit (e.g., you may discover that E represents the numeral 1),
(2): The 6-digit integer ELEVEN is divided by 11 evenly.]

5/9/2024 S. Erfani 2
Network Security
ECE Dept. U Windsor