What kind of math problems are they solving? Is it used for anything? Why are they doing it?
In: 919
To understand this you need to understand a hash. A hash is what comes out of a one way function for words (and all other symbols like letters, numbers, punctuation)
A one way function for numbers is a function that can take in multiple numbers but will output only one number. An example of this is absolute value. If I say “the absolute value of x is 5” you do not know if x is 5 or if x is -5.
So a one way function for words (an encryption function that produces a hash) might take in the word “p0tatoE!” and output “ahdkfoughJJhDdInVf” or what have you.
Bitcoin miners are given a very hard hash and must figure out what string of symbols produced that hash. The only way to do this is to make many many guesses as quickly as possible and see if the hash that comes out is the hash they are trying to guess. This fact about the guessing, or “cracking”, is also why there was a run up on graphics cards when crypto was doing well, because they are helpful with making many guesses at once.
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