RE: True random numbers wanted

From: gts (gts@optexinc.com)
Date: Mon Sep 23 2002 - 15:11:38 MDT


Mike Lorrey,

> Furthermore, while what you say may be
> theoretically true that an uncrackable code may require truley
> unpredictable and undetermined ciphertext, such ciphertext
> will also be uncrackable by the intended recipient, as well.

The ciphertext is always crackable if one has the key or passphrase. The
question here concerned the derivation of a genuinely random passphrase.

To cover your other question about the need for indeterminism, I believe
I originally encountered the idea from others, namely John Walker who
created the hotbits device.

We should expand and clarify the definition of "genuine random
sequence."

Genuinely random sequences are those that satisfy these conditions:

1) each successive digit is not predictable even by someone with
knowledge of every material fact of the universe.

and

2) each successive digit was not determined prior to its appearance
during the generation of the sequence, according to all the known and
widely accepted laws of the physical universe.

As far as I know, only sequences derived from quantum phenomena can
satisfy both 1 and 2.

-gts



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