Re^2: On showing the weakness in the MD5 digest function and getting bitten by scalar context

Edit: tachyon updated to fix. Leaving my comment for posterity, but it no longer applies.

Sorry Tachyon, but you're wrong. In roughly 2^16 tries, you've got 50% odds of finding a collision - not 50% odds of finding a collision with a given result. So you have 50% odds of two numbers in the 2^16 tries colliding, but you do not have 50% odds of a number in the 2^16 tries colliding with the result of one specific output.

You've mistaken "collision with a given point" with "collision between any two points." ++ for bringing up the birthday paradox, anyways.

Comment on Re^2: On showing the weakness in the MD5 digest function and getting bitten by scalar context

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Re^3: On showing the weakness in the MD5 digest function and getting bitten by scalar context by tachyon (Chancellor) on Aug 27, 2004 at 23:43 UTC
Of course you are right about finding a specific collision. I have had non specific collisions on my mind recently. cheers tachyon	[reply]