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@ -903,14 +903,15 @@ until the desired hash result appears by chance.
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((("Proof-of-Work algorithm", id="proof10")))((("mining and consensus",
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"Proof-of-Work algorithm", id="Cproof10")))A hash algorithm takes an
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arbitrary-length data input and produces a fixed-length deterministic
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result, a digital fingerprint of the input. For any specific input, the
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resulting hash will always be the same and can be easily calculated and
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result, called a _digest_. The digest is a digital commitment to the
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input. For any specific input, the resulting digest will always be the
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same and can be easily calculated and
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verified by anyone implementing the same hash algorithm.
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((("collisions")))The key characteristic of a cryptographic hash
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algorithm is that it is computationally infeasible to find two different
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inputs that produce the same fingerprint (known as a _collision_). As a
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inputs that produce the same digest (known as a _collision_). As a
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corollary, it is also virtually impossible to select an input in such a
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way as to produce a desired fingerprint, other than trying random
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way as to produce a desired digest, other than trying random
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inputs.
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With SHA256, the output is always 256 bits long, regardless of the size
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