Lecture on 'Digital Signatures for Author Identification'

On the Development of Digital Signatures for Author Identification

by

Prof. Wayne Patterson
(joint research with Robin Williams and Suganthi Gunasekaran)

SEC Lecture Hall 3, Ateneo de Manila University
4:30-6 pm, October 8, 2007

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Abstract:

With the increasing numbers of books converted to a digital format, represented generally with underlying ASCII text, it is now feasible to perform frequency analyses on the components of a book. This leads to the question of whether or not frequency analysis can be used as a biometric tool to determine authorship, in other words, to be usedas a digital signature for author identification. The results of this study indicate some positive findings, and that there is potential in further study of this type of analysis. The importance of this area of research is intensified because of the current projects to digitize all of the world's literature.

About the speaker:

Prof. Wayne Patterson obtained his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Michigan, and later his M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of New Brunswick. He has published more than 50 scholarly articles, and a leading textbook, Mathematical Cryptology (Rowman and Littlefield, 1986).He is a Professor of Computer Science at Howard University, but he is presently on loan to the US National Science Foundation as its Program Manager for International Science and Engineering in Developing Countries. He also taught Mathematics and later Computer Science at several other universities that include Université de Moncton in Canada, University of New Orleans, and University of Charleston, South Carolina.

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He held various positions in universities and some organizations:. Chair of the Department of Computer Science, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, at the University of New Orleans;. Vice President for Research and Professional and Community Services, and Dean of the Graduate School, at the University of Charleston, South Carolina;. Dean in Residence, and later, member of the Board of Directors of the Council of Graduate Schools, the national organization of graduate deans and graduate schools in the US;. Senior Fellow for International Programs and Academic Program Review in the Graduate School, and as Associate Vice Provost for Research , at Howard University;He is also involved in the Project SEED, a project that serves tens of thousands of at-risk students in the US and elsewhere, annually, first as a teacher of algebra and calculus, then later, and even up to now, as member of its Board of Directors.He served the Government of Canada, as Special Assistant and Economic Advisor to the Secretary of State and later the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada. He also was a candidate for the House of Commons of Canada, and the Legislature of the Province of New Brunswick; and was twice elected as the national Vice-President of the Liberal Party of Canada.