DonationCoder.com forum
 
Read-only archive. This is a static copy of the DonationCoder.com forum. Reading and searching work as before; logging in, posting and private messages do not.
Archive of 2026-10-21 · About this archive · Main site

Author Topic: p eq b & b not l => p not l. proof is left as an exercise  (Read 4,937 times)

gjehle

  • lonesome linux warrior
  • Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • **
  • Posts: 286
    • Gathering Badge

"An illegal prime is a prime number which contains information forbidden by law to possess or distribute.

The first illegal prime to be announced, when interpreted a particular way, describes a computer program which bypasses copyright protection schemes on some DVDs. Because that program has been found illegal by courts in the United States of America, this has produced debate about whether the number itself could be considered illegal." - Wikipedia

read on here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_prime

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,931
    • Gathering Badge
    • Plugin Coding Medal
    • Participated in NANY Challenge Seventeen Times
    • Cody Award
    • Coding Snacks
    • Volunteers/Staff
Re: p eq b & b not l => p not l. proof is left as an exercise
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2006, 11:14 AM »
sooo cool.
the mind of man at it's best. 8)

Eóin

  • O'Callaghan
  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,401
Re: p eq b & b not l => p not l. proof is left as an exercise
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2006, 07:10 PM »
More DeCSS fun can be found at Gallery of CSS Descramblers :) .
Interviewer: Is there anything you don't like?
Bjarne Stroustrup: Marketing hype as a substitute for technical argument. Thoughtless adherence to dogma. Pride in ignorance.

jgpaiva

  • Artificial Idiocy
  • Global Moderator
  • Joined in 2006
  • *****
  • Posts: 4,727
    • Cody Award
    • Participated in NANY Challenge Once
    • Coding Snacks
    • Portugal Inhabitant
    • Linux User
Re: p eq b & b not l => p not l. proof is left as an exercise
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2006, 10:45 PM »
I see what you mean, and it actually is a good point. I learned how to do that at school, and it's quite unbelievable how it works.
If you are given the language you're working with, you can translate a whole program into just one number, and translate it back.
I was told it is a method also used with cryptography. I did it with a 10 instruction and 4 keyword program, and it was quite easy. But i guess doing it with a whole C program, would make it quite hard. (although i guess the program could be automated)
Still, making a number copywrighted looks like a bit dumb to me. ;)

Original address: https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=3222.0