Cryptographic capsules: A disjunctive primitive for interactive Protocols

Abstract

The method of cryptographic capsules, especially (but not exclusively) when combined with residue classes, seems to be a powerful tool with many applications. This simple tool makes possible several protocols which would be impractical or completely impossible without them. In addition, several previously published protocols can be significantly simplified by the use of capsules. It is believed that capsules may have many applications which go well beyond those described here, and they may become a standard tool in the design of interactive protocols.