Symmetric Bijective Algorithm for Integers

Question

I need an algorithm that can do a one-to-one mapping (ie. no collision) of a 32-bit signed integer onto another 32-bit signed integer.

My real concern is enough entr

Answer 1

If you don't want to use proper cryptographic algorithms (perhaps for performance and complexity reasons) you can instead use a simpler cipher like the Vigenère cipher. This cipher was actually described as le chiffre indéchiffrable (French for 'the unbreakable cipher').

Here is a simple C# implementation that shifts values based on a corresponding key value:

void Main()
{
  var clearText = Enumerable.Range(0, 10);
  var key = new[] { 10, 20, Int32.MaxValue };
  var cipherText = Encode(clearText, key);
  var clearText2 = Decode(cipherText, key);
}

IEnumerable<Int32> Encode(IEnumerable<Int32> clearText, IList<Int32> key) {
  return clearText.Select((i, n) => unchecked(i + key[n%key.Count]));
}

IEnumerable<Int32> Decode(IEnumerable<Int32> cipherText, IList<Int32> key) {
  return cipherText.Select((i, n) => unchecked(i - key[n%key.Count]));
}

This algorithm does not create a big shift in the output when the input is changed slightly. However, you can use another bijective operation instead of addition to achieve that.

Answer 2

Split the number in two (16 most significant bits and 16 least significant bits) and consider the bits in the two 16-bit results as cards in two decks. Mix the decks forcing one into the other.

So if your initial number is b31,b30,...,b1,b0 you end up with b15,b31,b14,b30,...,b1,b17,b0,b16. It's fast and quick to implement, as is the inverse.

If you look at the decimal representation of the results, the series looks pretty obscure.

You can manually map 0 -> maxvalue and maxvalue -> 0 to avoid them mapping onto themselves.

Answer 3

Use any 32-bit block cipher! By definition, a block cipher maps every possible input value in its range to a unique output value, in a reversible fashion, and by design, it's difficult to determine what any given value will map to without the key. Simply pick a key, keep it secret if security or obscurity is important, and use the cipher as your transformation.

For an extension of this idea to non-power-of-2 ranges, see my post on Secure Permutations with Block Ciphers.

Addressing your specific concerns:

1. The algorithm is indeed symmetric. I'm not sure what you mean by "reverse the operation without a keypair". If you don't want to use a key, hardcode a randomly generated one and consider it part of the algorithm.
2. Yup - by definition, a block cipher is bijective.
3. Yup. It wouldn't be a good cipher if that were not the case.

Answer 4

The following paper gives you 4 or 5 mapping examples, giving you functions rather than building mapped sets: www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~john-rugis/pdf/BijectiveMapping.pdf

Answer 5

If your goal is simply to get a seemingly random permutation of numbers of a roughly defined size, then there is another possible way: reduce the set of numbers to a prime number.

Then you can use a mapping of the form

f(i) = (i * a + b) % p

and if p is indeed a prime, this will be a bijection for all a != 0 and all b. It will look fairly random for larger a and b.

For example, in my case for which I stumbled on this question, I used 1073741789 as a prime for the range of numbers smaller than 1 << 30. That makes me lose only 35 numbers, which is fine in my case.

My encoding is then

((n + 173741789) * 507371178) % 1073741789

and the decoding is

(n * 233233408 + 1073741789 - 173741789) % 1073741789

Note that 507371178 * 233233408 % 1073741789 == 1, so those two numbers are inverse the field of numbers modulo 1073741789 (you can figure out inverse numbers in such fields with the extended euclidean algorithm).

I chose a and b fairly arbitrarily, I merely made sure they are roughly half the size of p.

Answer 6

I will try to explain my solution to this on a much simpler example, which then can be easily extended for your large one.

Say i have a 4 bit number. There are 16 distinct values. Look at it as if it was a four dimensional cube:
_{(source: ams.org)}
.

Every vertex represents one of those numbers, every bit represents one dimension. So its basicaly XYZW, where each of the dimensions can have only values 0 or 1. Now imagine you use a different order of dimensions. For example XZYW. Each of the vertices now changed its number!

You can do this for any number of dimensions, just permute those dimensions. If security is not your concern this could be a nice fast solution for you. On the other hand, i dont know if the output will be "obscure" enough for your needs and certainly after a large amount of mapping done, the mapping can be reversed (which may be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on your needs.)