Brian Winkel - United States Military Academy
Illustrations of Cryptology from Poe, Verne, and Enigma
We present some cryptologic concepts based on language and mathematics as applied to
(1) an unsolved message sent to Edgar Allen Poe and discuss the role of students in this regard;
(2) a cipher which consumed a Jules Verne novel, La Jangada,
(3) the German Enigma cipher machine.
We weave several concepts concerning periodic ciphers through the discussion. For (3) we bring an actual Enigma cipher machine to demonstrate and permit audience interaction.
Dr. Brian Winkel studied Noetherian Ring Theory for his PhD under Professor Goro Azumaya. He proceeded to teach in a liberal arts setting (Albion College - 1971) with a growing interest in everything applied, to include ecology, pharmacokinetics, cryptology, and campanology. After a sabbatical to Michigan Technological University he moved to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (1981) where he became involved in engineering education and led a successful curriculum effort, Integrated First-Year Curriculum in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics with a sabbatical year at Brown University in Applied Mathematics. In 1995 he moved to the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the United States Military Academy where he enjoys the special student body, the small teaching classes, the wonderful collegiality and civility of members of his department. Along the way he founded three journals: Cryptologia, Collegiate Microcomputer, and PRIMUS Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematical Undergraduate Studies. The first and third journals are in their 27th and 13th years respectively. Dr. Winkel enjoys teaching just about anything
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