On Wed, 12 Jan 2000, Shannon -jj Behrens wrote:
> > Who invented Calculus?
> Newton and Leibnitz did, but actually RSA is based on number theory.
Along my line of thought ... there got to be someone out there ... in
China or something that might have developed the alogrithm before the guys
who sold it to RSA. It might be similiar to the famous x^n + y^n = z^n
problem (Fermat's Last Theorem). Fermat said he proved it ... just that
the margin was small so he can't fit it. Recently two guys (actually
professor and student) from Princeton proved it ... Andrew Wiles and
another fella (forgot his name). The proof was a manuscript ... very
lengthy ... includes dealing math in ellipitical coordinate system and
fancy math like that. :) Wiles name lived on as an academic hero and the
proof is not patent.
I believe both of them invented in parallel; just that Leibnitz was first.
Newton delay his publication because he wanted to finish up on his second
law of motion using his Calculus invention. Both used a different
approach to come to the same conclusion. And of course what I say is
highly debatable :)
>
> > Who invented prime number?
> This is really more of a discovery than an invention. However, I'd have
> to say that either the Greeks or the Phoenicians were the first to be
> aware of prime numbers. ;)
>
> > US patent laws are a bit out of touch. Patent laws were meant to protect
> > the small inventor. Corporations with big dollars took advantage of this
> > opportunity. In addition this is an algorithm! They teach kids how to
> > multiply two prime numbers in school.
> The truth of that matter is though, this algorithm was _difficult_ for
> me to understand even as a junior in college.
>
> I'm a mathematician, so I had to throw the above out :) In actuality, I
> share your frustration with this stupid patent as well as with some of
> our export laws.
>
>
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