ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Naor-Reingold Pseudorandom Function

Okay, kiddo, let's talk about something called a "naor-reingold pseudorandom function".

A pseudorandom function is something that looks random, but isn't really random. It's like playing a game of pretending - you pretend like you're picking random numbers, but there's actually a set pattern to it.

When we talk about the naor-reingold pseudorandom function, we're talking about a specific way of making a pseudorandom function. It's sort of like a secret code that takes in an input and turns it into an output that looks random, but is actually based on a pattern that only certain people know.

To create this secret code, we use something called a "hash function". A hash function is like a machine that takes in information and turns it into a unique code. So if you put in the word "cat", the hash function might turn it into something like "7g3d65h".

But instead of using just any old hash function, we use one that has some special traits that make it harder to crack. Naor and Reingold figured out a way to make sure that no one can figure out the pattern behind the pseudorandom function, even if they know what hash function we used to create it.

So when we use the naor-reingold pseudorandom function, we're really just using a secret code to turn an input into an output that looks random. And only the people who know the secret code can figure out what the real pattern is behind it. Pretty cool, isn't it?