🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan5.074735.14802@qualcomm.com> karn@servo.qualcomm.com (Phil Karn) writes:
>In article <1993Jan5.030228.10817@netcom.com> strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight) writes:
>
>>My impression is that the key modern breakthroughs are in public
>>key crypto systems, including RSA, and that those were invented
>>mostly by Americans (not sure if Shamir is Israeli or American).
>
>Shamir is an Israeli, living in Israel.
Thanks for the confirmation. That is one-third of RSA and thus does
not change my surprise that Amanda would suggest America is not
still dominant in this field.
>
>>My impression is that the non-U.S. developments are essentially
>>derivative, elaboration, etc.
>
>Since Shamir is the 'S' in 'RSA', and since you clearly believe that
>RSA is not derivative (otherwise it wouldn't qualify for the patent
>you defend so strenuously), then there is obviously at least one
>non-American who has made at least one significant contribution to
>modern cryptography. Another significant Shamir contribution is
>differential cryptanalysis, which is rapidly becoming a fundamental
>tool in the design of new secret key ciphers.
This is making too much heavy weather of my inquiry, for what purpose
I do not understand. The statement which I questioned wasn't that no
non-Americans had contributed; it was that the assumption of American
dominance was no longer warranted. I find this puzzling given the
work I'm familiar with, and what has seeped under the door about the
NSA's budget and quality of their personnel.

Phil follows this by a discussion of others' ability to copy software or
develop software from algorithms. That point is not at issue here.

David

-- 
David Sternlight
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