Sihem Mesnager

Sihem Mesnager is a University Professor of Mathematics at the University of Paris VIII, affiliated with the Laboratory of Analysis, Geometry and Applications (LAGA) at Paris XIII (CNRS) and the AGC3 research group (Algebra, Geometry, Combinatorics). She holds an adjunct professorship at Télécom Paris within the MIC2 Mathematics team of the Computer Science and Networks department (INFRES). Her work bridges pure mathematics and applied cryptography, focusing on Boolean functions, bent functions, and coding theory for secure communication and data protection.

• PhD in Mathematics, University of Pierre and Marie Curie (Paris VI), Sorbonne University (2002)
• Habilitation (HDR) in Mathematics, University of Paris VIII (2012)

Research Interests

Dr. Mesnager specializes in symmetric cryptography and coding theory, particularly their applications to secure digital communication, error correction, and post-quantum cryptographic protocols. Her algebraic approach employs finite fields, exponential sums, algebraic geometry, and finite geometry to analyze and construct cryptographic primitives like S-boxes, APN functions, and optimal linear codes. She also investigates algorithmic aspects of computer algebra in these domains.

Scientific Awards

• George Boole International Prize (2020)
• PEDR Excellence Scientific Award (2019-2022)
• PEDR Excellence Scientific Award (2014-2017)

Publications & Projects

Her recent work includes constructing weightwise perfectly balanced Boolean functions for the FLIP cipher, optimizing Inner Product Masking schemes via coding theory, and developing post-quantum secure functional encryption using multivariate cryptography. She has contributed to Reed-Muller codes, BCH codes, and Gaussian sum-based linear codes with one-dimensional hulls, emphasizing their applications in side-channel attack resistance and quantum error correction.