[net.crypt] Factoring: Most Wanted List

bs@faron.UUCP (Robert D. Silverman) (05/23/86)

While I continue the process of factoring numbers on the current 'WANTED'
lists I encountered a very rare and unusual event: A very large number
which factored as the product of two VERY nearly equal primes. The
factorization was that of a 77 digit cofactor of 6^106 + 1. This number
has the trivial algebraic factor 37, and a small primitive factor 26713.
The remain cofactor, however, factors as:
 
175436926004647658810244613736479118917 *
175787157418305877173455355755546870641
 
A very pretty result.

It not only is unusual for a number this size to factor into two primes
of equal length but also it is even more unusual that the first 3 digits
are the same.  Note that this is not an artificially constructed RSA key.

Bob Silverman

P.S. For those interested the current numbers left on the 'MOST WANTED'
list are: (Cxx indicates a composite number of xx digits)

    512
1. 2   + 1  = 2424833.C148
 
    128
2. 5    + 1  = 2.257.C87
 
    128
3. 7    + 1 = 2.257.769.197231873.C95

4. finished

5. finished

6. finished

     94
7. 10   + 1 = 101.45121.C88

     97
8. 10   - 1 = 3.3.12004721.C89

      97
9.  10   + 1 = 11.C96

10. finished

Is anyone out there bold enough to try these?????
We are waiting for John Selfridge to draw up a new list.