DesiPundit

Public key systems rely on a simple mathematical idea: some functions are much easier performed in one direction than the other. For example, it’s not too difficult to figure out that when you multiply 7, 11 and 13, the answer is 1001. But what if I asked you: “Which three distinct numbers produce 1001 when multiplied?” That harder problem will take you, or even a computer, much longer to solve.

In an extremely insightful post, Dilip lucidly explains public key cryptography. Definitely worth a read. Also, there’s a mathematical quiz question in the end.