Question

Hash functions got the name “hash” because it’s easy to compute the function with a given input, but nearly impossible to reverse engineer the hash function to get the original input.



True


False

Answer 1

no it is true

Answer 2

False. The term "hash" in "hash function" actually refers to the way in which the function maps input data of variable size to fixed-size values, which can resemble a "chopping up" or "hashing up" of the data. While it's true that hash functions are designed to be easy to compute and difficult to reverse (one-way property), the name itself comes more from this "chopping" metaphor than from the ease of computation versus the difficulty of reversing.

Answer 3

I understand your perspective, but the primary reason for the term "hash" is stylistic and refers to the idea of mixing or chopping data, rather than specifically indicating the ease of computation and difficulty of reversing the function.

In the context of hash functions, it is indeed true that they are designed to be easy to compute and difficult to reverse (one-way), but the terminology itself stems from the way they process data rather than those specific properties.

If you interpret the statement strictly as a description of properties relevant to hash functions, one could argue that it is true. However, it is important to recognize that the origin of the term "hash" comes from the method of handling data rather than a straightforward comparison of the function's computability and reversibility.

Thank you for your input. If you have more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask!