Towards Practical Non-interactive Public Key Cryptosystems Using Non-maximal Imaginary Quadratic Orders

Abstract

We present a new non-interactive public-key distribution system based on the class group of a non-maximal imaginary quadratic order Cl( Δp). The main advantage of our system over earlier proposals based on (Z}/nZ)* [25,27] is that embedding id information into group elements in a cyclic subgroup of the class group is easy (straight-forward embedding into prime ideals suffices) and secure, since the entire class group is cyclic with very high probability. Computational results demonstrate that a key generation center (KGC) with modest computational resources can set up a key distribution system using reasonably secure public system parameters. In order to compute discrete logarithms in the class group, the KGC needs to know the prime factorization of ΔpeΔ1 p2. We present an algorithm for computing discrete logarithms in Cl(Δp) by reducing the problem to computing discrete logarithms in Cl(Δ1) and either F*p or F*p2. Our algorithm is a specific case of the more general algorithm used in the setting of ray class groups [5]. We prove—for arbitrary non-maximal orders—that this reduction to discrete logarithms in the maximal order and a small number of finite fields has polynomial complexity if the factorization of the conductor is known.