---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2000 11:49:16 -0500 From: Adam Back <adam@cypherspace.org> Reply-To: cypherpunks@ssz.com To: bill.stewart@pobox.com Cc: petro@bounty.org, cypherpunks@cyberpass.net Subject: CDR: auditable gaming PRNGs (Re: PRNG server) Seems to me you can do better with a gaming server. If the gaming server servers RNGs in a sequence such that each sample in the sequence can be verified, they don't need to trust the server; or at least there is an audit function. Eg. say that the server publishes subsequent pre-images in a hashchain. h_0 h_{i+1} = h_i and the server computes h_i values up to i = 10^8 and then publishes them starting with h_{10^8}, h_{10^8-1}, ... Then anyone can verify that the random number is the preimage of the previous random number. You do something similar with a more efficient (log(n)) auditing function with merkle authentication trees. If they aren't doing this someone should clue them in. Adam ____________________________________________________________________ He is able who thinks he is able. Buddha The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate Austin, Tx /:'///// ``::>/|/ ravage@ssz.com www.ssz.com .', |||| `/( e\ 512-451-7087 -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- --------------------------------------------------------------------