What I don't understand is their use. They're neat but, what is their function?
Would like an answer from doug_don,
Thanks
2007-03-10 01:37:27 · 7 answers · asked by david37863 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Almost all of the new methods for cryptography depend heavily on prime numbers. Some of the best encoding schemes require the product of two primes to do the encoding, but require the primes themselves to do the
decoding. In general, it is FAR more difficult to find the factors of a number than to multiply the two numbers, so I can send secret messages as follows:
I pick two primes, multiply them together, and give you the product. You encode using the product, send me the encoded message, and I can decode it because I know the two numbers. This is a "public" method,
since I can give the product to anyone, so anyone can send me a message that only I can read.
The two numbers, by the way, usually are 100 digits long or so, so factoring the product might require centuries on a large computer.
In addition, there are dozens of algorithms in computer science that depend heavily on prime numbers - hashing schemes, sorting schemes, and so on.
2007-03-10 01:43:39 · answer #1 · answered by Tharu 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The behaviour of prime numbers is not yet predicted. I mean there are no direct formula to find out if a number is prime or not, what is the next prime, exactly how many primes are there between two given numbers and so on. Because of this, it is difficult to "guess" a prime number. Especially when the number of digits is long enough. It is tuff even with powerful computers.
This property is very helpful in computing and network safety. Digital signatures, cryptography, encoding ... there are huge number of applications where prime numbers could be used to make it nearly impossible for cracking.
So if somebody could find a practical, feasible way to crack primes, then the whole e-safety is at stake!
2007-03-10 12:44:56 · answer #2 · answered by karu_malar 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Primes are a logical sequence of numbers that could be under stood by any intelligent,objective being any where in the universe.
The difficulty of factoring large composites [As you have heard] is the basis for high security encryption systems.
The question often asked is :What is the largest prime?"
The largest prime will be the one calculated when the universe goes out of existence.
2007-03-10 10:39:53 · answer #3 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Primes are used in making passwords or encrypting an idea.
The reason they receive so much attention is because anyone that understands them thinks they are way COOL!
PS Primes rock!
2007-03-10 12:32:52 · answer #4 · answered by WRDSB 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very big primes are used in cryptography. Performing mathematical operations on large numbers that won't factorise down into something smaller is very hard work and makes the codes more difficult to crack.
2007-03-10 09:42:00 · answer #5 · answered by davidbgreensmith 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nonsense. It is easy to prove there is no largest prime number.
2007-03-10 11:12:58 · answer #6 · answered by cosmo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they reveal a subtle order or pattern, that seems to hold deep truths about the nature of mathematics and of the world in which we live.
2007-03-10 09:50:58 · answer #7 · answered by redunicorn 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋