It has been noted in this thread that a good crypto algorithm would require an attacker to locate a single spike in a problem space, rather than having to climb a hill (which is, of course, much easier). I recall reading (I think in Sci. Am.) that a theory under investigation now as to why nature has sexual reproduction as part of its repertoire is that this gives a solution-seeking population a better opportunity to located spikey solutions. From the point of view of genetic algorithms, sexual reproduction means that each offspring must be generated from two members of the existing population, each of which contributes half the information needed to generate the offspring. In theory, this maintains a population that is spread over a wider terrain, and is thus more likely to find the spike. I don't know if such a strategy would help at all in crypto analysis, or whether any genetic algorithm programs currently in use employ this strategy. __ | (V) | "Tiger gotta hunt. Bird gotta fly. | (^ (`> | Man gotta sit and wonder why, why, why. | ((\\__/ ) | Tiger gotta sleep. Bird gotta land. | (\\< ) der Nethahn | Man gotta tell himself he understand." | \< ) | | ( / | Kurt Vonnegut Jr. | | | | ^ |