What do Computers Demand from and Give to Mathematics?

Lovasz, Laszlo

Today, it is natural to use a computer, surf the Internet, pay by
credit card, or listen to a CD. László Lovász, mathematician and member of HAS, reminds us that were it not for some new branches of mathematics - theory of algorithms, cryptography or complexity theory - none of these things would be possible. Who would think that data protection - including the security of military bases and the banking system - is dependent on our capability to determine the prime factors of a large number in a reasonable amount of time? Why is it important to know if we are assigned a number randomly, or as a result of an algorithm?

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