July 29, Wednesday, 6 p.m. -- David Perry, a cryptologic mathematician with the National Security Agency, will give a public talk about the history of codes and code-breaking and especially the "unbreakable" Enigma code machine used by Germany in World War II.

Perry's talk is part of Mathfest 2009, an evening for high-schoolers and their parents celebrating math and its role in everyday life.

"We really want to get youngsters and their parents interested in math, and how it comes up in so many different things," said Monica Vazirani, professor of mathematics at UC Davis and an event organizer. "There's much more to math than you see in the classroom."

People use encryption, for example, every time they enter a password or a credit card number on a computer. By revealing the math that lies behind everyday life, Mathfest organizers hope to show career opportunities open to graduates with a mathematics degree.

In his talk, Perry will explore the history of cryptology from 2,000 years ago through the mid-20th century and the design principles that went into the Enigma code machine.

Perry received his doctorate in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1999 and taught at Ripon College in Wisconsin for two years before joining the National Security Agency.

Every summer, he teaches a three-week course in cryptology for the Johns Hopkins' Center for Talented Youth program.

During the course, Perry says he spends at least 15 minutes trying to convince his teenage students that he's not trying to recruit them, does not in fact have a chip in his head and that the black helicopters that seem to appear daily above the campus are a coincidence.

Perry's talk will begin at 6 p.m. in the 194 Chemistry lecture hall on the UC Davis campus. From 7 to 8:30 p.m., participants are invited to attempt mathematical puzzles, games and get more information about careers in mathematics.

Previous years' Mathfest speakers have been Tony DeRose, a UC Davis alumnus and senior scientist at Pixar Animation Studios, and "mathemagician" Arthur Benjamin, a professor at Harvey Mudd College.

Mathfest 2009 is sponsored by the National Science Foundation through a VIGRE grant, and the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS). The event is free and open to the public.

About UC Davis

For 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 31,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $500 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science -- and advanced degrees from six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.