Re: The enormous potential that programming LaTeX in Ada presents.

[Austin Obyrne <austin.obyrne@hotmail.com>]

On Thursday, December 4, 2014 4:31:36 PM UTC, Austin Obyrne wrote:
> On Thursday, December 4, 2014 3:25:46 PM UTC, Simon Wright wrote:
> > Austin Obyrne <austin.obyrne@hotmail.com> writes:
> > 
> > > Current cryptography is capable of encrypting ASCII and at most the
> > > entire Latin-1 set.
> > 
> > Looking back on Google I see that on 16 December 2013 I posted 
> > https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.lang.ada/qJ5vpRQarSQ/QNvyYgYVjewJ
> > which I've copied below.
> > 
> > So a year ago I demonstrated that
> > 
> > - minor tweaks will enable your code to:
> > 
> >   - deal with data on Windows and Unix systems and to transfer data
> >     between them, and
> > 
> >   - deal with binary data,
> > 
> > - but the cipertext is >30 times the size of the original (because you
> >   encode each byte of the input as 3 integers, represented as text).
> > 
> > These are practical matters and have nothing to do with the validity of
> > the encryption technology.
> > 
> > ========================================================================
> > Austin Obyrne <austin...@hotmail.com> writes: 
> > 
> > > The transition of this crypto from Windows to Mac is quite something 
> > > and to my limited experience is a formidable task. 
> > 
> > No. 
> > 
> > I've put extensions at [1]; the README.txt says 
> > 
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
> > The files here are intended to work with the SureCrypt software from 
> > http://www.adacryptpages.com. They are written against version 85610, 
> > and are relatively minor modifications of that software, so the 
> > copyright status remains that of the original (Copyright © 2003 Austin 
> > O'Byrne). 
> > 
> > There are two new programs: encrypt and decrypt. 
> > 
> > Encrypt usage: 
> > 
> >    encrypt original-plaintext ciphertext 
> > 
> > Decrypt usage: 
> > 
> >    decrypt ciphertext decrypted-plaintext 
> > 
> > Note that in spite of the use of the word "text" above the programs 
> > will work with binary data. 
> > 
> > The programs will work on Unix and Windows systems. Data encrypted on 
> > one can be decrypted on the other if required. 
> > 
> > Using a recent GNAT compiler, the programs can be built using the 
> > supplied cipher.gpr: 
> > 
> >    gnatmake -p -P cipher 
> > 
> > Simon Wright 
> > si...@pushface.org 
> > December 2013 
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
> > 
> > From the software point of view, note that on Linux (which has a 
> > case-sensitive file system) you should use lower case for Ada source 
> > file names, so that, for example, Alices_Digital_Signature.ads becomes 
> > alices_digital_signature.ads. 
> > 
> > From the practical point of view, I think that the size of the encrypted 
> > files will be a serious issue. With the current code, they come out 
> > *more* *than* *30* *times* the size of the original, so that the 
> > encrypted SureCrypt85610.zip comes out at about 870 megabytes. Even if 
> > you output the encrypted data in binary the multiplier will be 12 (each 
> > byte of the original is encrypted as 3 integers). 
> > 
> > [1] https://www.dropbox.com/sh/a84i0jb8jv48nev/Q143ubNUWC 
> > ========================================================================
> 
> Hi Simon,
> 
> Thanks for that really useful feedback.
> 
> Can I say that everything to date with my cryptography (and there has been much refinement in the meantime) should be seen as exploratory - My dogma is that when the core mathematical algorithm is irreversibly intractable only then will I entertain any studies or listen to any criticism of the management.  I accept that there is much room for criticism and improvement but that does not bother me - there are millions of people out there who have the wherewithal to hone a rough diamond that my ciphers are into a super duper one.
> 
> I contend my forte is in writing (a few) such ciphers that people like yourself will be able to fine tune them when the mathematics irrefutably show that it is complete.  I can reduce that ratio i.e. a ciphertext expansion ratio of 26 to 1 (a bit less than you say) to as much as about 10 to 1 quite easily myself just off the top of my head.
> 
> The same goes for the efficacy of my Ada-95 programming.  I do worry what that looks like to anybody - I have written some procedures that are truly elegant as problem solving methods but I won't deny that to an Ada specialist there must be huge room for improvement.  Again I leave that to other experts.
> 
> In passing, I loathe, hate and , despise what I call 'flash Harry programmers who thiink it is smart to confuse people with minimalised source code - That is why I always iuse Ada.Text_IO when a 'Use' would do the same. 
> 
> *Apart from the defunct One-Time pad cipher there is no unbreakable cipher in the world today - not RSA not AES they are only what is called "Practically unbreakable" and may be blown away if Quantum Computing ever materialises - My stuff is a *world first in the ultimate class of "theoretically Unbreakable" cryptographic strength.  I can demonstrate three ciphers in this highest class class and NB one of them has the optimum ciphertext expansion ratio of about 6 to 1 - it is not a problem.
> 
> Much is made of the peripheral management aspect of my crypto by disgruntled readers who say it is not coming in the box that are used to but let me put this challenge to anybody out there.
> 
> Accept that the ultimate strength of any cipher depends on the core algorithm and that any management defects can be marked *proved but repairable then fast track to the frontier with your operand and ignoring the warts 'n all of the cipher management (which cuts no ice really)show how your encryption of a number into another number is done in a way that is selectively reversible by only two people on this planet.
> 
> Go for it mate - you would eat your computer before you get as far as I have.
> 
> adacrypt,

Further.

It must surely seem that vector cryptography which requires three integers for each item of ciphertext as the displacement analogue of a decimal number is prohibitive in future cryptography.  That is a shortsighted view on what is a useful crypto reality.

However likely is it to happen and to what extent it will affect current cryptography is debatable but the possibility has to be addressed that Quantum Computing will materialise just as the computer itself came after much speculation last century.

It is good to know that there are alternatives in the locker should current ciphers be blown away as some informed people are saying may happen by the arrival of quantum computers.

A proper inspection of my vector cryptography will enable very large reductions in the ciphertext expansion ration just by deploying ordinary plane geometry of the algorithm a bit more efficiently.  This requires liaison with the management designers at whatever time in the future.  Much is possible by way of improvements that would only appear as pie in the sky  defensive claims were they made now.

This vector cryptography is here to stay.

- after the revolution - Viva.

There is also unbreakable scalar cryptography in the locker that is secured by the principles of the 'partitioning function' in combinatrics.

adacrypt