Peter Montgomery (mathematician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter L. Montgomery
|
|
|---|---|
Peter Montgomery in July 2009 at Microsoft Research.
|
|
| Born | September 25, 1947 |
| Died | February 18, 2020 (aged 72) Pong, Phayao, Thailand
|
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | |
| Known for |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions |
|
| Thesis | An FFT extension of the elliptic curve method of factorization (1992) |
| Doctoral advisor | David G. Cantor |
Peter Lawrence Montgomery (born September 25, 1947 – died February 18, 2020) was a smart American mathematician. He worked for companies like the System Development Corporation and Microsoft Research. He is best known for his important work in computational number theory. This field uses computers to solve problems with numbers. He also helped with cryptography, which is about keeping information secret and secure.
Peter Montgomery created special methods like the Montgomery modular multiplication for doing math with large numbers. He also developed Montgomery curves and the Montgomery ladder. These tools are used in elliptic curve cryptography to protect against attacks that try to steal secret information.
Contents
His Journey in Math
Peter Montgomery started college at the University of California, Riverside, in 1965. He later moved to Berkeley and earned a bachelor's degree in math in 1969. He then got a master's degree in math in 1971.
Working with Computers
In 1972, he joined the System Development Corporation (SDC). There, he worked as a programmer. He wrote computer programs for big computers like the CDC 7600. His work on doing math with very large numbers led to his invention of what is now called Montgomery modular multiplication.
Back to School
Peter went back to school in 1987. He earned his PhD in mathematics from UCLA in 1992. His teacher was David G. Cantor. After that, he joined the cryptography team at Microsoft Research in 1998. He worked there until he retired in 2014.
A Special Tribute
Just after Peter Montgomery passed away, a team of mathematicians solved a very difficult math problem. They successfully broke an 829-bit RSA key. They dedicated this amazing achievement to Peter Montgomery, honoring his contributions to the field.
What He Discovered
Peter Montgomery made big contributions to a method called the elliptic curve method of factorization. This method helps break down very large numbers into their prime factors.
Speeding Up Calculations
He found a way to make the second part of these factorization methods much faster. He used a technique called FFT. This was the main topic of his PhD paper in 1992.
Breaking Records
He also invented the block Lanczos algorithm. This is a very important tool used in other factorization methods, like the quadratic sieve and number field sieve. Peter was involved in many calculations that set new integer factorization records.
A Math Whiz
In 1967, Peter Montgomery was named a Putnam Fellow. This is a special honor given to top math students. That year, he was one of only two people to solve all twelve problems on a very tough math exam. The other person was a child genius named Don Zagier.
