1. I didn't understand discrete logarithms. I thought that log functions were continuous. I'm guessing it becomes discrete when we use it as such. We are only concerned with the integers and the modulus of the log of those integers. I don't understand the process of finding discrete logs. Consequently, I don't understand why finding discrete logs is hard. Not to say that I see it as easy. Is there a reason that they are hard other than the fact that in cryptography we will probably be working with large primes (as in RSA)?
2. Section 6.7 was interesting to read about public key cryptosystems essentially being reduced to something akin to group theory. It nicely showed how and why RSA was just an example of a public key cryptosystem. The text also interestingly showed a modern day example of turning RSA backward and using it (treaties between nations).
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