Implications of the new reduction algorithm

[rivest@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Ron Rivest)]

Here are a couple of things that are worth noting:

(1) Name space adoption. 

    If you have key k1, and you issue a certificate of the form
       {k1} ==> {k2}
    then you have essentially augmented your name space by all of k2's.
    That is, if k2 has defined alice to mean k3, then
	{k1,alice} 
    reduces to
	{k2,alice}      (by your certificate {k1}==>{k2})
    and this then reduces to
	{k3}            (by k2's certificate {k2,alice}==>{k3}.
    
    This has some potential benefits, and risks.  A certificate of the
    form {k1}==>{k2} is very powerful, and should be used carefully.

(2) Products of relations

    Note that a name of the form {k,friends,friends} does the appropriate
    thing: it can evaluate to any key of a friend of a friend of k's.

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