
Does a solution to the Riemann hypothesis render RSA encryption obsolete? [pdf] - padic
http://phys.lsu.edu/~fmoxley/fieldsMedalSymposium.pdf
======
padic
A very major threat to RSA encryption would be a solution to the Riemann
hypothesis. If a solution is found, prime numbers would be too easy to find,
and RSA would fall apart. Undoubtedly, much more sophisticated algorithms than
RSA will continue to be developed as mathematicians discover more in the
fields of number theory and cryptanalysis.

~~~
YomiK
This is incorrect.

"prime numbers would be too easy to find" \-- they're already really easy to
find. Factoring large semiprimes is currently hard. Primality testing and
finding primes for RSA keys is very easy. If the RH was proven true, it
wouldn't speed that up in any practical way either.

As an experiment, assume the Riemann Hypothesis. Does that make factoring
easier? No. Do we have any currently known methods of weakening RSA if the RH
was true? No.

For some actual consequences of the RH:
[https://mathoverflow.net/questions/17209/consequences-of-
the...](https://mathoverflow.net/questions/17209/consequences-of-the-riemann-
hypothesis)

------
godelmachine
A small note to future viewers - This PDF does not mention anything about
solution being a threat to the RSA encryption. It provides a mathemetical
proof for something which I couldn't comprehend.

Also, on a quite unrelated note - won't any kind of encryption be obsolete of
it is proved that P=NP. I read this two days ago on the Wikipedia entry of "P
versus NP problem" in the "Consequences" part.

