>What invention is needed to invent the algorithm, once you know the math? Math and algorithm are overloaded terms that often mean the same thing, so it's not

>What invention is needed to invent the algorithm, once you know the math? Math and algorithm are overloaded terms that often mean the same thing, so it's not possible to answer that question. However, to clarify what jandrewrogers meant: at the time modular exponentiation was a known mathematical construct; what was invented and patented was a new, previously unknown algorithm that used that mathematical construct as part of an encryption technique. Now both can be seen as "math" or "algorithm", but the key difference is that the encryption algorithm has practical utility (i.e. providing security) whereas modular exponentiation by itself has none.