From: Antonomasia <ant@notatla.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 11:50:25 +0800
To: cypherpunks@ssz.com
Subject: Re: Factor a 2048-bit number
Message-ID: <199711211845.SAA02254@notatla.demon.co.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Monty Cantsin

> Hint 2: There is an observation which suggests the number may be
> factored.  A one word hint will reveal this observation.

> (I want to hold off on Hint 3 for a little while in case somebody is
> already working on the problem.  If anybody wants me to withhold Hint
> 3, please post a message to the list and I may do so.  It seems to me
> that it will be more fun to solve without Hint 3.)

> Wouldn't it be neat to actually factor a 2048-bit number which was the
> product of two large primes?

The wording of the original challenge suggested there was a trick to
this particular factorisation.   My guess that q=p+2 was wrong, so
square rooting (cheap) and using the 2 nearest odd integers was a loser.


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