6 Jan
2005
6 Jan
'05
7:09 p.m.
Rabin's public key algorithm is based on the difficulty of computing square roots mod n=p*q, p,q prime. ----- Original Message Follows -----
Except for semicolons, Michael Kleber writes:
<< [T]here will be at most two [square roots of an integer mod p].
Working mod p, you can still do a^2=b^2; a^2-b^2=0; (a+b)(a-b)=0; a=b or a=-b, since there are no zero divisors mod p. >>
There's something different and interesting going on with square roots in the integers mod n for n not prime, and especially if n|24.
--Dan _______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com
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-- Mike Stay staym@clear.net.nz http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~msta039