Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2006/461

On Post-Modern Cryptography

Oded Goldreich

Abstract: This essay relates to a recent article of Koblitz & Menezes (Cryptology ePrint Report 2004/152) that ``criticizes several typical `provable security' results'' and argues that the ``theorem-proof paradigm of theoretical mathematics is often of limited relevance'' to cryptography. Although it feels ridiculous to answer such a claim, we undertake to do so in this essay. In particular, we point out some of the fundamental philosophical flaws that underly the said article and some of its misconceptions regarding theoretical research in Cryptography in the last quarter of a century.

Category / Keywords: foundations / opinion

Date: received 5 Dec 2006

Contact author: oded goldreich at weizmann ac il

Available formats: Postscript (PS) | Compressed Postscript (PS.GZ) | BibTeX Citation

Note: This is an opinion paper, not a technical contribution.

Version: 20061208:130350 (All versions of this report)

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