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 -- Tantalus Inc. Bringing people together Jim Sewell-KD4CKQ 2407 N. Roosevelt Blvd. to have a little fun. Internet: jims@mpgn.com Key West, FL 33041 CIS: 71061,1027 (305) 293-8100 "We keep coding and coding and coding..."