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Hashing in the Real World

A tale of comparing data and creating computational puzzles

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Abstract

Step 10 introduced cryptographic hash functions and discussed different patterns of applying hash functions to data. Step 10 may have appeared to be a dry intellectual exercise, but it is actually of highly practical relevance. Hence, this step focuses on the application of hash functions and hash values in the real world. It considers major use cases of hash functions in real life and explains the idea behind them. This step also sketches why these use cases work out as intended. Finally, this step points out where the blockchain uses hash values.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Tsudik, Gene. Message authentication with one-way hash functions. ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review 22.5 (1992): 29–38.

  2. 2.

    Cormen, Thomas H. Introduction to algorithms (3rd ed.). Cambridge: MIT Press, 2009.

  3. 3.

    Merkle, Ralph C. Protocols for Public Key Cryptosystems. IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy 122 (1980).

  4. 4.

    Back, Adam. Hashcash—a denial of service counter-measure. 2002. http://www.hashcash.org/papers/hashcash.pdf.

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© 2017 Daniel Drescher

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Drescher, D. (2017). Hashing in the Real World. In: Blockchain Basics. Apress, Berkeley, CA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-2604-9_11

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