James Massey
Encyclopedia
James Lee Massey is an information theorist and
cryptographer, Professor Emeritus
of Digital Technology at ETH Zurich
. His notable work
includes the application of the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm
to linear code
s, the design of the block cipher
s IDEA
(with Xuejia Lai
) and SAFER
, and the Massey-Omura cryptosystem (with Jim K. Omura
).
in 1956 from the University of Notre Dame
, and was granted an NSF
Fellowship. After three years of military service, he began graduate studies in 1959 at MIT, where he concentrated on coding theory
and was awarded a Ph.D.
in 1962. He returned to Notre Dame, where he taught electrical engineering until 1977. After a brief period at UCLA, Massey accepted a position at ETH Zurich in 1980. He remained there until his retirement in 1998.
cryptographer, Professor Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
of Digital Technology at ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
. His notable work
includes the application of the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm
Berlekamp-Massey algorithm
The Berlekamp–Massey algorithm is an algorithm that will find the shortest linear feedback shift register for a given binary output sequence. The algorithm will also find the minimal polynomial of a linearly recurrent sequence in an arbitrary field....
to linear code
Linear code
In coding theory, a linear code is an error-correcting code for which any linear combination of codewords is also a codeword. Linear codes are traditionally partitioned into block codes and convolutional codes, although Turbo codes can be seen as a hybrid of these two types. Linear codes allow for...
s, the design of the block cipher
Block cipher
In cryptography, a block cipher is a symmetric key cipher operating on fixed-length groups of bits, called blocks, with an unvarying transformation. A block cipher encryption algorithm might take a 128-bit block of plaintext as input, and output a corresponding 128-bit block of ciphertext...
s IDEA
International Data Encryption Algorithm
In cryptography, the International Data Encryption Algorithm is a block cipher designed by James Massey of ETH Zurich and Xuejia Lai and was first described in 1991. As a block cipher, it is also symmetric. The algorithm was intended as a replacement for the Data Encryption Standard[DES]...
(with Xuejia Lai
Xuejia Lai
Xuejia Lai is a cryptographer, currently a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His notable work includes the design of the block cipher IDEA, the theory of Markov ciphers, and the cryptanalysis of a number of cryptographic hash functions. His book On the Design and Security of Block...
) and SAFER
SAFER
In cryptography, SAFER is the name of a family of block ciphers designed primarily by James Massey on behalf of Cylink Corporation. The early SAFER K and SAFER SK designs share the same encryption function, but differ in the number of rounds and the key schedule...
, and the Massey-Omura cryptosystem (with Jim K. Omura
Jim K. Omura
James K. Omura is an electrical engineer and information theorist, currently the technology strategist for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation....
).
Biography
Massey received a B.S. in electrical engineeringElectrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
in 1956 from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, and was granted an NSF
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
Fellowship. After three years of military service, he began graduate studies in 1959 at MIT, where he concentrated on coding theory
Coding theory
Coding theory is the study of the properties of codes and their fitness for a specific application. Codes are used for data compression, cryptography, error-correction and more recently also for network coding...
and was awarded a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1962. He returned to Notre Dame, where he taught electrical engineering until 1977. After a brief period at UCLA, Massey accepted a position at ETH Zurich in 1980. He remained there until his retirement in 1998.
Honors and awards
- IEEE FellowIEEE FellowAn IEEE member is elevated to the grade of IEEE Fellow for "unusual distinction in the profession and shall be conferred by the Board of Directors upon a person with an extraordinary record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest"...
, 1971 - Baker PrizeBaker PrizeThe initially called W.R.G. Baker Award provided by the Institute of Radio Engineers , was created in 1956 from a donation from Dr. Walter R. G. Baker to the IRE. The award continued to be awarded as IEEE W.R.G...
, 1987 - Claude E. Shannon AwardClaude E. Shannon AwardThe Claude E. Shannon Award of the IEEE Information Theory Society was instituted to honour consistent and profound contributions to the field of information theory. Each Shannon Award winner is expected to present a Shannon Lecture at the following IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory...
, 1988 - IEEE Alexander Graham Bell MedalIEEE Alexander Graham Bell MedalThe IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal is an award honoring "exceptional contributions to the advancement of communications sciences and engineering" in the field of telecommunications...
, 1992 - Member of the National Academy of EngineeringNational Academy of EngineeringThe National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
- Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesRoyal Swedish Academy of SciencesThe Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
- IACRInternational Association for Cryptologic ResearchThe International Association for Cryptologic Research is a non-profit scientific organization whose purpose is to further research in cryptology and related fields...
Fellow, 2009