{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:32:03Z","timestamp":1760059923905,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753401600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Information"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Secret key exchange is a necessary function for modern cryptography. The integer partition function is a mathematical function that arises from number theory. New methods for computing the integer partition function were developed and evaluated in the context of this paper, as well as new methods for using the integer partition function in a secret key exchange. The methods were categorized into single-variable and multiple-variable methods. The single-variable methods were found to be insecure. The multiple-variable methods were shown to be vulnerable to attacks that solve a linear system. These methods were implemented in microcontrollers using the C++ programming language. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the security of the developed methods in a wireless key exchange scenario. It was concluded that the security provided by the key exchange of the developed methods was low.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/info16080637","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T12:56:43Z","timestamp":1753448203000},"page":"637","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Secret Cryptographic Key Sharing Through the Integer Partition Function"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Daniel Fernandes da","family":"Nobrega","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Group of Metamaterials Microwaves and Optics (GMeta), Department of Electrical Engineering (SEL), University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP), Avenida Trabalhador S\u00e3o-Carlense, Nr. 400, Parque Industrial Arnold Schimidt, S\u00e3o Carlos 13566-590, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6548-7898","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marcio Lu\u00eds Munhoz","family":"Amorim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Group of Metamaterials Microwaves and Optics (GMeta), Department of Electrical Engineering (SEL), University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP), Avenida Trabalhador S\u00e3o-Carlense, Nr. 400, Parque Industrial Arnold Schimidt, S\u00e3o Carlos 13566-590, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8960-8498","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u00e9rgio F.","family":"Lopes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CMEMS-UMinho, University of Minho, 4804-533 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"LABBELS\u2014Associate Laboratory, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7955-7503","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o Paulo","family":"Carmo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Group of Metamaterials Microwaves and Optics (GMeta), Department of Electrical Engineering (SEL), University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP), Avenida Trabalhador S\u00e3o-Carlense, Nr. 400, Parque Industrial Arnold Schimidt, S\u00e3o Carlos 13566-590, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6275-9467","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 A.","family":"Afonso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CMEMS-UMinho, University of Minho, 4804-533 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"LABBELS\u2014Associate Laboratory, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8961-5196","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mario","family":"Gazziro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Information Engineering Group, Department of Engineering and Social Sciences (CECS), Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Av. dos Estados, 5001, Santo Andr\u00e9 09210-580, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Schneier, B., and Diffie, W. 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