Edna Grossman facts for kids

Edna Grossman is a brilliant American mathematician. She is known for her important work in keeping digital information safe and for finding new ways to break secret codes. She helped create a very important system called the Data Encryption Standard (DES) and developed a special method for code-breaking called the "slide attack."

Who is Edna Grossman?

Edna Grossman was born in Germany. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in the United States. From a young age, she showed a strong interest in mathematics.

Her Journey in Math

Edna Grossman studied mathematics at several well-known universities.

• She earned her first degree, a B.S. in mathematics, from Brooklyn College. This is like finishing high school and then going on to get a four-year college degree.
• She then continued her studies at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. This is a very famous place for studying advanced math.
• There, she earned her M.S. degree, which is a higher degree after a B.S.
• In 1972, she received her Ph.D. in mathematics from the same institute.

What is a Ph.D.?

A Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) is the highest degree you can get in many fields, including mathematics. To earn a Ph.D., students do a lot of advanced research and write a long paper called a thesis. Edna Grossman's thesis was about the "symmetries of free groups," which is a complex topic in advanced mathematics. Her supervisor was a famous mathematician named Wilhelm Magnus.

Working at IBM

After finishing her studies, Edna Grossman worked for IBM. IBM is a very large and famous technology company. At IBM, she was part of a special team. This team worked on designing and analyzing something called the Data Encryption Standard (DES).

What is Data Encryption?

Data encryption is like putting a secret lock on information. It changes data into a secret code so that only people with the right key can unlock and read it. The Data Encryption Standard (DES) was a very important way to keep digital information safe for many years. Edna Grossman's work helped make sure this system was strong and secure.

Breaking Codes: Cryptanalysis

Edna Grossman is also famous for her work in cryptanalysis. Cryptanalysis is the science of breaking codes and finding weaknesses in encryption systems.

Along with another expert named Bryant Tuckerman, Edna Grossman developed the very first "slide attack." This was a new and clever way to try and break certain types of secret codes. It showed how smart and innovative she was in the field of cybersecurity.