the meaning of linearity, was Re: picking a hash function to be encrypted

[Travis H.]

> - Stream ciphers (additive)

This reminds me, when people talk about linearity with regard to a
function, for example CRCs, exactly what sense of the word do they
mean?  I can understand f(x) = ax + b being linear, but how exactly
does XOR get involved, and are there +-linear functions and xor-linear
functions?  Are they disjoint?  etc.
-- 
"Curiousity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect" -- Steven Wright
Security Guru for Hire http://www.lightconsulting.com/~travis/ -><-
GPG fingerprint: 9D3F 395A DAC5 5CCC 9066  151D 0A6B 4098 0C55 1484

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