NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/sci/crypt/6309

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-01 | 1.2 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Mr. X)
Newsgroups: sci.crypt
Subject: Finding BIG prime factors...
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 2 Jan 93 00:45:16 GMT
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Organization: Twilight Zone
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I just remembered something which I read in (I think) "Computer" from about
6 or 7 years ago, only I can't remember the details and the question has been
annoying me for years, whenever I think about it.

There was an article about finding the prime factors of fairly large numbers
(I believe on the order of 600 digits) of the form N=pq where p and q are
primes.  The article went on to say that somewhere some folks had a machine
and software that could get said prime factors in precisely *3* machine
cycles.  What I cannot remember was what this systems type was.  I seem to
remember it being something called a "systolic" system, but I am not sure.
I have forgotten the basic ideas behind these, so now I am doubly confused.

Any of you folks know anything about such systolic systems (if indeed these
are the one's I am thinking of) and how they go about sifting large primes
in so short a time?

Thanks,

    -Andy V.