Decisional composite residuosity assumption

The decisional composite residuosity assumption (DCRA) is a mathematical assumption used in cryptography. In particular, the assumption is used in the proof of the Paillier cryptosystem.

Informally the DCRA states that given a composite n and an integer z, it is hard to decide whether z is a n-residue modulo n² or not, i.e., whether there exists y such that

$z \equiv y^n \pmod{n^2}. \,$

See also

• Computational hardness assumption
• Quadratic residuosity problem
• Higher residuosity problem

References

• P. Paillier, Public-Key Cryptosystems Based on Composite Degree Residuosity Classes, Eurocrypt 1999.