3 ms·

I still don't get how a prime number can reveal hidden information. Can someone please explain me the process?

• niyazpk 17y ago
  From the article: Its binary representation corresponds to a compressed version of the C source code of a computer program.
• etherealG 17y ago
  it doesn't reveal information except that it is a constant that is used as part of a process of encryption where without the constant cracking that encryption would be effectively impossible and with it cracking the encryption is trivial. effectively the number is the encryption, as having the number makes the encryption useless. the rest of the algorithm is pointless without the number and vice versa.
  • lt 17y ago
    That's a different number, not the one the article is about. The one in question is a compressed version of a c program that breaks encryption.