AUC Undergraduate Journal of Liberal Arts & Sciences Capstone Issue Vol. 12 2019 Published by AUC Undergraduate Journal of Liberal Arts & Sciences Capstone Issue Vol. 12 2019, published by InPrint The AUC Undergraduate Journal of Liberal Arts and Sciences is a biannual, interdisciplinary publication showcasing outstanding undergraduate academic papers. The Journal aims to demonstrate the strength of undergraduate scholarship at AUC, to reflect the intellectual diversity of its academic programme, to encourage best research and writing practices, to facilitate collaboration between students and faculty across the curriculum, and to provide students with opportunities to gain experience in academic reviewing, editing and publishing. The Editorial of the Journal is constituted of members of the InPrint board, a registered AUCSA committee. Editorial board (InPrint) Aisha Erenstein | Editor-in-Chief & Chair Caoimhe Martin | Head Editor Sciences Linnea Sinharoy | Head Editor Social Sciences Merel Makkus | Head Editor Humanities & Treasurer Sarah Martin | Editor Sciences & Secretary Miles Henderson | Editor Sciences Parag Dass | Editor Social Sciences & Secretary Amal Salman | Editor Social Sciences & Head of PR Myriam Bellamine | Editor Humanities Jai Yoon Chung | Editor Humanities Capstone Team Dr. Maurits de Klepper | Capstone co-Coordinator Wade Geary, MA | Capstone co-Coordinator Bob Kardolus | Capstone Administrator Series Editing Prof. Dr. Murray Pratt Dr. Belinda Stratton i Copyright: All texts are published here with the full consent of their authors. Every effort has been made to contact the rightful owners of all content with regards to copyrights and permissions. We apologise for any inadvertent errors or omissions. If you wish to use any content please contact the copyright holder directly. For any queries regarding copyright please contact [email protected]. Foreword Before they graduate, AUC students are required to per- form an independent research project within their intended majors of Sciences, Social Sciences or the Humanities: the Capstone. In the semester they spend writing their Cap- stones, students learn to engage and contribute to the aca- demic dialogue occurring within their chosen field. With the current Capstone Issue, we publish six Capstones submit- ted to us from across AUC’s three majors by the graduating students of 2019 which demonstrate AUC students’ diverse skills, interests and academic excellence. All the Capstones published in this issue have undergone a rigorous selection and editing process carried out by our Editorial Board to improve the clarity and accessibility of the selected works. We’d also like to thank Dr. Lotte Tavec- chio and Dean Prof. Dr. Murray Pratt for their support and enthusiasm for our publication. Additionally, a thank you is due for the Academic Writing Skills and Advanced Research Writing teams, who through the support and inclusion of our journal in their classes have helped ensure InPrint’s longevity and presence within the AUC community. Finally, the tem- plate for the LATEX 2ε formatting for this issue was graciously provided by former Editor-in-Chief Lanie Preston. I sincerely hope that in reading this Capstone Issue you, our dear reader, can see the high level of academic achieve- ment of AUC students, their incredible work ethic, and the wonderful variety in interests and topics that is emblematic of the liberal arts and sciences education. And now, without further ado, I welcome you to our 12th Capstone Issue! Aisha Erenstein, on behalf of InPrint ii Contents Sciences Implementing Quantum-Cryptographic Protocols using SimulaQron: A Quantum-Internet Simulation of 1-2 of Oblivious Transfer in the Noisy-Storage Model – Lynn Engelberts (1-32) Sciences Restricted Boltzmann Machines and the Renormalization Group: Learning Relevant Information in Statistical Physics – Jesse Hoogland (33-68) Social Sciences Do You Want to Know More? Curiosity for Positive and Negative Life Stories of Ingroup and Outgroup Members – Afke van Egmond (69-86) Social Sciences The Political Strategy of Prawo i Sprawiedliwość – Christina Keßler (87-108) Humanities - Social Sciences Between the World and Me(me): Approaching Internet Memes through Digital Ethnography and Berlant’s Affective Present – Cullen Ogden (109-133) Humanities Pieces of Resistance: Protest Signs as Objects of Dissent – Nina Klaff (134-158) iii Sciences Implementing Quantum-Cryptographic Protocols using SimulaQron A quantum-internet simulation of 1-2 oblivious transfer in the noisy-storage model Lynn Engelberts Supervisor Dr. Christian Schaffner (UvA, QuSoft) Reader Dr. Michael Walter (UvA, QuSoft) Capstone Issue Vol. 12, 2019 Lynn Engelberts Abstract Research in quantum technology is currently devoted to the development of a large-scale quantum network, also known as a quantum internet. Since a quantum internet is expected to be realised in the near future, a quantum-internet simulator, SimulaQron, has been created to function as a framework for the development of quantum-internet applications [DW18]. One of the expected applications of a quantum internet is the cryptographic primitive secure two-party computation. However, the suitability of SimulaQron for cryptographic applications, such as secure two-party computation, has not yet been examined. In particular, this thesis demonstrates the potential and limitations of SimulaQron as environ- ment for implementing and analysing cryptographic protocols. Furthermore, we evaluate whether the considered protocols are suitable for quantum-internet applications. To the best of our knowledge, this thesis provides the first implementations of quantum-cryptographic protocols in SimulaQron. Our imple- mentations are based on the protocols for 1-2 oblivious transfer (1-2 OT) proposed in [Sch10]. 1-2 OT is a simple two-party primitive on which any protocol for secure two-party computation can be based [GV88; Kil88]. Assuming that the laws of quantum mechanics hold, the protocols in [Sch10] are shown to be secure against attacks in the noisy-storage model – a realistic cryptographic model which assumes that the adversary’s quantum storage is noisy. Our work is based on a critical literature analysis of 1-2 OT in the noisy-storage model and quantum internet, followed by an implementation of the protocols pro- vided in [Sch10] using SimulaQron. Our implementations will allow us to evaluate whether these protocols are easy to implement and suitable for quantum internet. This research will thus contribute to both the field of quantum cryptography and the area of quantum-internet development by analysing 1-2 OT in the noisy-storage model as well as evaluating the cryptographic applications of a quantum internet and the potential of SimulaQron. Keywords and phrases: 1-2 oblivious transfer (1-2 OT), error correction, noisy-storage model, quantum internet, SimulaQron Acknowledgements work is also known as a quantum internet [Cas18; DW18; DLH17]. Despite the fact that many possi- Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisor Chris- ble applications of a quantum internet have been tian Schaffner for his patience and guidance during suggested in research (e.g. see [Weh08]), the real this project. By introducing me to the area of quan- potential of a quantum internet will only be known tum cryptography and information theory, Chris- when it has been realised. Nevertheless, the pre- tian provided me with the background and notions sumed arrival of a quantum internet will require necessary for this Bachelor’s thesis. My grateful software that can be run over the quantum net- thanks are also extended to Axel Dahlberg for tak- work. Researchers have therefore created a quan- ing the time and effort to help me with any ques- tum internet simulator – called SimulaQron – with tions related to SimulaQron. Finally, I would like to the purpose to function as a test-bed for writing thank Michael Walter for taking the time to read my software for quantum internet applications [ALA18; work. DW18]. One of the potential applications of a fu- ture quantum internet is two-party cryptography I. Introduction [DW18; Weh08]. Cryptography is concerned with the tasks of achieving communication or computa- By 2020, the Dutch research centre QuTech tion between two or more parties, even if the par- aims to have built a quantum network between four ties do not trust each other [NC10]. A typical ex- cities in the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Delft, Lei- ample of cryptography is that of two parties who den, and The Hague [ALA18; DW18; QuT]. The ul- want to communicate securely over a communica- timate goal is to construct a large-scale quantum tion channel. We often refer to these two parties network so that quantum information can be ex- as ‘Alice’ and ‘Bob’, and to a (third) party attempt- changed between remote quantum processors, al- ing to intercept their messages as the ‘adversary’ lowing for both quantum computation and quantum or ‘attacker’. A cryptographic protocol then de- communication over an arbitrarily long distance. scribes how Alice and Bob can perform their task Such a large-scale quantum-communication net- securely. In classical cryptography, the security of 2 Capstone Issue Vol. 12, 2019 Lynn Engelberts such cryptographic protocols is often based on the first model gives an explicit upper bound on the ad- hardness of an unproven mathematical conjecture versary’s quantum storage during the protocol, the and on the assumption that the attacker has limited latter assumes that the quantum storage is noisy computational