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ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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On the Structural Impossibility of Hash Collision Finding\\ via Direct SAT Duplication Why Encoding $H(x_1) = H(x_2) \wedge x_1 \neq x_2$ as a Duplicated SAT Circuit is Inherently Unsatisfiable

Authors: Aguilera Katayama, Kaoru;

On the Structural Impossibility of Hash Collision Finding\\ via Direct SAT Duplication Why Encoding $H(x_1) = H(x_2) \wedge x_1 \neq x_2$ as a Duplicated SAT Circuit is Inherently Unsatisfiable

Abstract

We present a fundamental structural observation regarding the encoding of hash function collision search as a Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) problem. The standard approach to finding collisions $H(x_1) = H(x_2)$ with $x_1 \neq x_2$ requires instantiating two copies of the hash circuit and constraining their outputs to be equal. We demonstrate that this ``duplication approach'' produces formulas that are inherently unsatisfiable due to deep structural reasons rooted in the interaction between circuit determinism, the pigeonhole principle at the clause level, and the symmetry-breaking effect of the inequality constraint. We argue that this unsatisfiability is not merely a consequence of hash function strength but rather an intrinsic property of the encoding itself, rendering the SAT-based collision search approach fundamentally misconceived. Even differential cryptanalysis paths, when fully encoded, collapse into the same structural trap. This observation has significant implications for understanding why decades of SAT-based cryptanalysis have produced limited results on collision finding for standard hash functions.

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
Green