Mathematical calculations based on elliptic curves are delivering the next generation of cryptography systems to protect information.

But searching for whole-number solutions is anything but straightforward with equations that have larger exponents, starting with elliptic curves.

Systems based on elliptic curves have been known since the mid-1980s, but have only recently been adopted by leading encryption companies.

The most mysterious cases are those of degree 3 ­- namely, the case of elliptic curves - and of degree 4.