Cryptography fascinates people of all generations and is increasingly presented as an example for the relevance and application of the mathematical sciences. Indeed, many principles of modern cryptography can be described at a secondary school level. In this context, the mathematical background is often only sparingly shown. In the worst case, giving mathematics this character of a tool reduces the application of mathematical insights to the message ”cryptography contains math”. This paper examines the question as to what else cryptography can offer to mathematics education. Using the RSA cryptosystem and related content, specific mathematical competencies are highlighted that complement standard teaching, can be taught with cryptography as an example, and extend and deepen key mathematical concepts.

This dissertation explores an analogue of the prime number theorem for polynomials over finite fields as well as its connection to the necklace factorization algorithm T-transform and the string complexity measure T-complexity. Specifically, a precise asymptotic expansion for the prime polynomial counting function is derived. The approximation given is more accurate than previous results in the literature while requiring very little computational effort. In this context asymptotic series expansions for Lerch transcendent, Eulerian polynomials, truncated polylogarithm, and polylogarithms of negative integer order are also provided. The expansion formulas developed are general and have applications in numerous areas other than the enumeration of prime polynomials. A bijection between the equivalence classes of aperiodic necklaces and monic prime polynomials is utilized to derive an asymptotic bound on the maximal T-complexity value of a string. Furthermore, the statistical behaviour of uniform random sequences that are factored via the T-transform are investigated, and an accurate probabilistic model for short necklace factors is presented. Finally, a T-complexity based conditional string complexity measure is proposed and used to define the normalized T-complexity distance that measures similarity between strings. The T-complexity distance is proven to not be a metric. However, the measure can be computed in linear time and space making it a suitable choice for large data sets. / Graduate / 0544 0984 0405 / nrebenich@gmail.com

Olivier Messiaen is regarded as one of the most significant composers of the 20th century. His compositions are performed regularly and his teachings have influenced many well-known composers like Boulez and Stockhausen. This study focussed on his use of rhythm in his piano compositions. I supplied a short biography of the composer along with a brief discussion of his compositional techniques. Thereafter his rhythmic techniques were examined through relevant music examples from his piano repertoire. Particular attention was given to works from the Vingt Regards sur L’Enfant-Jésus along with Cantéyodjayâ, Mode de valeurs et d’intensités and Neumes rythmiques from his experimental period (1949-1951). In Mode de valeurs et d’intensités he revolutionized the serial treatment of duration, pitch, intensity and attack. His other rhythmic techniques include Indian rhythms, Greek meter, added values, augmentation, diminution, non-retrogradable rhythms, polyrhythm, chromatic scales of duration, personnages rythmiques, symmetrical permutations, rhythmic neumes, rhythmic canon and prime numbers. / Dissertation (MMus (Performing Arts))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Music / unrestricted

Soit q ⩾ 2 une puissance première fixe. L’objectif principal de cette thèse est d’étudier le comportement asymptotique de la fonction arithmétique Π_q(n,k) comptant le nombre de polynômes moniques de degré n et ayant exactement k facteurs irréductibles (avec multiplicité) sur le corps fini F_q. Warlimont et Car ont montré que l’objet Π_q(n,k) est approximativement distribué de Poisson lorsque 1 ⩽ k ⩽ A log n pour une constante A > 0. Plus tard, Hwang a étudié la fonction Π_q(n,k) pour la gamme complète 1 ⩽ k ⩽ n. Nous allons d’abord démontrer une formule asymptotique pour Π_q(n,k) en utilisant une technique analytique classique développée par Sathe et Selberg. Nous reproduirons ensuite une version simplifiée du résultat de Hwang en utilisant la formule de Sathe-Selberg dans le champ des fonctions. Nous comparons également nos résultats avec ceux analogues existants dans le cas des entiers, où l’on étudie tous les nombres naturels jusqu’à x avec exactement k facteurs premiers. En particulier, nous montrons que le nombre de polynômes moniques croît à un taux étonnamment plus élevé lorsque k est un peu plus grand que logn que ce que l’on pourrait supposer en examinant le cas des entiers. Pour présenter le travail ci-dessus, nous commençons d’abord par la théorie analytique des nombres de base dans le contexte des polynômes. Nous introduisons ensuite les fonctions arithmétiques clés qui jouent un rôle majeur dans notre thèse et discutons brièvement des résultats bien connus concernant leur distribution d’un point de vue probabiliste. Enfin, pour comprendre les résultats clés, nous donnons une discussion assez détaillée sur l’analogue de champ de fonction de la formule de Sathe-Selberg, un outil récemment développé par Porrit et utilisons ensuite cet outil pour prouver les résultats revendiqués. / Let q ⩾ 2 be a fixed prime power. The main objective of this thesis is to study the asymptotic behaviour of the arithmetic function Π_q(n,k) counting the number of monic polynomials that are of degree n and have exactly k irreducible factors (with multiplicity) over the finite field F_q. Warlimont and Car showed that the object Π_q(n,k) is approximately Poisson distributed when 1 ⩽ k ⩽ A log n for some constant A > 0. Later Hwang studied the function Π_q(n,k) for the full range 1 ⩽ k ⩽ n. We will first prove an asymptotic formula for Π_q(n,k) using a classical analytic technique developed by Sathe and Selberg. We will then reproduce a simplified version of Hwang’s result using the Sathe-Selberg formula in the function field. We also compare our results with the analogous existing ones in the integer case, where one studies all the natural numbers up to x with exactly k prime factors. In particular, we show that the number of monic polynomials grows at a surprisingly higher rate when k is a little larger than logn than what one would speculate from looking at the integer case. To present the above work, we first start with basic analytic number theory in the context of polynomials. We then introduce the key arithmetic functions that play a major role in our thesis and briefly discuss well-known results concerning their distribution from a probabilistic point of view. Finally, to understand the key results, we give a fairly detailed discussion on the function field analogue of the Sathe-Selberg formula, a tool recently developed by Porrit and subsequently use this tool to prove the claimed results.