<cryptography, mathematics> A function which is easy to
compute but whose inverse is very difficult to compute.
Such functions have important applications in cryptography,
specifically in public-key cryptography.
See also: trapdoor function.
(2001-05-10)
Nearby terms:
ones complement « One-Time Password « One Time Programmable Read-Only Memory « one-way function » one-way hash function » on-line » On-Line Analytical Processing