Re: ANNOUNCE: NIST Considers Schneier Public Key Algorithm

From: Bill Unruh (unruh_at_string.physics.ubc.ca)
Date: 04/02/04 

Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 01:59:46 +0000 (UTC)

Jean-Luc Cooke <jlcooke@engsoc.org> writes:

]John Savard <jsavard@excxn.anospamb.cdn.invalid> wrote:
]> It is certainly true that x^0 = 1 for all x (with the exception of
]> x=0, for which, mathematically, the result may also be zero, but the
]> usual convention is to choose 1 in this case as well).

]It is 1. Consider the limit:

It is undefined. The limit depends on the direction you approach 0 in
the xy plane. x^y=exp(yln(x)) consider y= a/ln(x) as x->0, so does y->0.
but x^(a/ln(x)) = exp(a) and the limit as x->0 of this is exp(a). Ie, you
can get any number you want as this limit.