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Re: Factoring problem, solved
Posted:
Jan 20, 2005 7:43 PM
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Christian Bau wrote:
> In article <BE145E63.4767E%plasticnitlion@wrappermindspring.com>,
> Bob Harris <plasticnitlion@wrappermindspring.com> wrote:
>
>> jstevh@msn.com wrote:
>>>> I am increasingly certain that I've solved the factoring problem.
>>
>> to which Peter Trei replied:
>>> Feel free to demonstrate your system on the RSA Factoring
>>> Challenge numbers. There are prizes ranging from $20,000
>>> (for factoring the 640 bit challenge), up to $200,000
>>> (2048 bits).
>>
>> I wonder if I just tried random factors if my odds of finding a solution in,
>> say, a year, would be better or worse than my odds of winning a state
>> lottery.
>
> To guess a 1024 bit factor of a 2048 bit product, your chances are about
> the same as winning the lottery (six numbers out of 49) 43 times in a
> row.
Yep. 2^1022 is about the same as (49 choose 6)^43. That's only for a
single guess of course. How much do I improve things by trying a billion
factors a second for a year?
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