1.

Finite Field Arithmetic:

• AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) operates on 8-bit bytes.

• It performs arithmetic operations like addition, multiplication, and division over the
finite field GF(2^8).

• A field allows addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division without leaving the
set.

2. Finite Field Arithmetic Challenges:

• Division in AES requires a multiplicative inverse for each nonzero element.

• AES works with integers that fit into a fixed number of bits without wasted patterns.

• Z2^n, the set of integers fitting into n bits using modular arithmetic, is not a field.

3. AES Encryption Process:

• AES processes data blocks as matrices during each round, using substitutions and
permutations.

• The key is expanded into an array of 44 32-bit words.

• The cipher involves AddRoundKey, XOR encryption, scrambling, and bitwise

operations.

• AES encryption and decryption are reversible, but they are not identical.

4. AES Byte-Level Operations:

• AES uses four different stages: Substitute Bytes, Shift Rows, Mix Columns, and
AddRoundKey.

• These operations ensure data transformation and security.

5. S-Box Rationale:

• The S-box in AES is designed to resist known cryptanalytic attacks.

• It has low input-output correlation and uses the multiplicative inverse for nonlinearity.

6. Shift Row and Mix Column Transformations:

• Shift Rows transforms the State array by moving bytes within columns.

• Mix Columns ensures good mixing among the bytes and full dependence on input bits.

7. AddRoundKey Transformation:

• The AddRoundKey transformation involves XORing 128 bits of State with the round
key.

• It is a column-wise or byte-level operation and ensures security.

8. AES Key Expansion:

• The key expansion algorithm takes a 16-byte key and produces 176 bytes.

• This expansion provides round keys for encryption and decryption.

9. Key Expansion Rationale:

• AES key expansion aims to resist known cryptanalytic attacks.

• It includes round-dependent round constants, eliminating symmetry and ensuring

invertibility.

10. AES Avalanche Effect:

• AES exhibits the avalanche effect, where small changes in plaintext or key result in
significant changes in ciphertext.

11. Equivalent Inverse Cipher:

• AES decryption is not identical to encryption but shares the key schedule.

• It requires two separate software or firmware modules for encryption and decryption.

12. Implementation Aspects:

• AES can be efficiently implemented on both 8-bit and 32-bit processors.

• Byte-level operations and table lookups make AES suitable for hardware and software
implementations.