Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2008 ii Paper 2 12G Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 4 3G b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
No. The procedure exposes a square-root oracle for the Rabin cryptosystem. The verifier chooses , sends , and receives another square root . Ifthen the factorization from distinct square roots modulo a semiprime givesFor a product of two odd primes, a square normally has four roots, and a returned root lies outside the pair with probability about . Repeating chosen-square challenges therefore factors with overwhelming probability. The attacker can then compute square roots and impersonate Alice. This is the chosen-square attack on Rabin authentication, so the proposed protocol is insecure.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 ii Paper 4 3K Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
For Rabin cryptosystem, choose primes , publish , and encrypt as . The factors let the receiver take square roots modulo and and combine them using the Chinese remainder theorem; redundancy identifies the intended one of four roots.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 2 12K a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
In the Rabin cryptosystem, the public key is and encryption sends an encoded message toKnowing , the receiver finds the two square roots modulo each prime and combines them with the Chinese remainder theorem to obtain four roots modulo ; prescribed redundancy identifies the intended one.
Omicron hasThe Chinese remainder theorem determines uniquely modulo (assuming the independently generated moduli are coprime; a nontrivial gcd would itself factor them). Since , one has , so this residue is the ordinary integer . Taking its positive integer square root recovers .
This does not normally decrypt another ciphertext sent under only one modulus. The recovered pair reveals no nontrivial square root collision modulo that modulus and hence supplies no factorization; breaking a single Rabin instance remains equivalent to factoring its modulus.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 12K a i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
In the Rabin cryptosystem, the public key is , usually with distinct secret primes . A message is encrypted asKnowing and , the receiver finds the two square roots of modulo each prime and combines them by the Chinese remainder theorem, obtaining the four square roots modulo ; redundancy identifies the intended message.
Factoring plainly enables this decryption. Conversely, suppose an algorithm returns a square root of a chosen quadratic residue. Choose random invertible , submit , and receive a root . With probability at least , ; thenis a nontrivial factor. Thus decryption and factoring are equivalent up to a randomized polynomial-time reduction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2026 ii Paper 4 3H Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
A Rabin cryptosystem chooses Blum primes , publishes , and encrypts as . Decryption takes square roots modulo and , combines them with CRT, and uses redundancy to select the intended one of four roots. Here , while the obvious root is . ThusSo is factored, allowing all future square roots and hence all ciphertexts to be decrypted.