How to explain...

["Jim Sewell - KD4CKQ" <jims@Central.KeyWest.MPGN.COM>]

Hi folks!

   I have something I'm sure someone on the list can help with.  I need
   to explain to someone who is "mostly-illiterate" about computers why
   it is so difficult to break an RSA or DES type code.  This person is
   a good user and a beginning programmer.  I understand intuitively,
   but not well enough to explain it.  His thinking is that if you have
   formula X to go from plain to crypt then just reverse X and you'll 
   have the decryption algorithm.  He figures that reversing a math
   formula could be difficult, but given a desire and a few weeks that
   nearly any formula can simply be reversed.

   If you can explain it well and simplistically I'd appreciate it.
   (As I said, I intuitively understand, but can't explain it well.)

	Thanks,   
	   Jim

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