You are on page 1of 2

Algebra II: Matrix Cryptography Activity

Cryptography is the study of writing in secret code that goes back to ancient times. Modern cryptography
intersects the disciplines of mathematics, computer science, and engineering. Applications of cryptography
include ATM cards, computer passwords, and electronic commerce. The first documented use of cryptography in
writing dates back to circa 1900 B.C. when an Egyptian scribe used non-standard hieroglyphs in an inscription.
One of the earliest and easiest methods of coding message is the substitution cipher, in which each letter in the
alphabet is substituted for another letter/number/symbol.

For this activity we will be writing and encoding our own secret messages using our knowledge of matrices!

You will need to

1) Come up with your own secret message


2) Develop your own invertible 2 x 2 matrix to encode it
3) Translate your message into numbers and matrix form
4) Encode your message by multiplying the matrix you developed in step 2 by your matrix from step 3
5) Decode a partner’s message by finding the inverse of their original matrix and using matrix
multiplication

Directions for encoding your own message:

Step 1) Come up with any secret message you choose (try for about 4 – 7 words and make sure it’s appropriate)

Step 2) Develop your own invertible 2 x 2 matrix and label it A

a) Remember that a matrix is invertible if its determinant is not equal to zero. So pick 4 different
numbers for the elements of your matrix and arrange them in such a way so that the determinant
will not be equal to zero.

Step 3) Translate your message into numbers and then into a matrix and label it B

a) Use the chart below to translate your message into number form by substituting the indicated
number for each letter or space

space A B C D E F G H I J K L M
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
b) Once your message is translated into number form you can write it as a matrix. If you have an odd
number of elements add another zero at the end to make the amount even. Once you have an even
number of entries just write the first half of the elements in the top row and the second half in the
bottom row. This should result in a 2 x n matrix where n is the number of columns.

Step 4) Multiply matrix A by matrix B (remember order matters in matrix multiplication). The product you find
is the encoded version of your message!
Directions for decoding your partner’s message:

You will receive your partner’s encoded matrix and their matrix A

Step 1) Find the inverse of your partner’s matrix A

Step 2) Multiply A-1 by matrix B

Step 3) Use the chart below to translate the elements of the product you found into letters and uncover your
partner’s secret message!

space A B C D E F G H I J K L M
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Questions to consider...

Why does matrix A need to be invertible?

Could you use matrices with different dimensions?

Could you think of a way to add in punctuation or emoticons?

You might also like