Malcolm J. Williamson

Malcolm J. Williamson
Malcolm J. Williamson
Born 1950
Stockport, United Kingdom
Nationality British
Fields Cryptography
Known for Diffie–Hellman key exchange

Malcolm John Williamson is a British mathematician and cryptographer. In 1974 he discovered what is now known as Diffie-Hellman key exchange.[1] He was then working at GCHQ and was therefore unable to publicize his research as his work was classified. Martin Hellman, who independently developed the key exchange at the same time, received credit for the discovery until Williamson's research was declassified by the British government in 1997.[1]

Williamson studied at Manchester Grammar School, winning first prize in the 1968 British Mathematical Olympiad.[2] He also won a Silver prize[3] at the 1967 International Mathematical Olympiad in Cetinje, Yugoslavia and a Gold prize[4] at the 1968 International Mathematical Olympiad in Moscow.[5] He read mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating in 1971. After a year at Liverpool University, he joined GCHQ, and worked there until 1982.

From 1985 to 1989 Williamson worked at Nicolet Instruments in Madison, Wisconsin where he was the primary author on two digital hearing aid patents.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Singh, Simon (1999). The Code Book. Doubleday. pp. 279–292. 
  2. ^ A.Gardiner "The Mathematical Olympiad Handbook" Oxford University Press, 1997
  3. ^ The Science Teacher volume 11 number 1 (October 1967) pages 30 and 31, 1967, http://www.imo-register.org.uk/1967-report-st.html, retrieved 26 Jan. 2009 
  4. ^ New Science Teacher volume 12 number 2 (December 1968) pages 31–35, 1968, http://www.imo-register.org.uk/1968-report-st.html, retrieved 26 Jan. 2009 
  5. ^ Malcolm J. Williamson's results at the International Mathematical Olympiad
  6. ^ US Patent 5091952 - Feedback suppression in digital signal processing hearing aids
  7. ^ US Patent 5027410 - Adaptive, programmable signal processing and filtering for hearing aids


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