Solved! my question on encryption

[mjohnston001]

using asymmetric encryption when person A encrypts a message with their public key why cant someone just use their public key in reverse to decrypt that message

 

[ex_bubblehead]

An explanation is FAR too long to include here. Google for "symmetric vs asymmetric encryption" and you'll find far more information than you could ever imagine.

Basically, asymmetric encryption algorithms only work in one direction, they cannot be used in reverse (that's what makes them secure). The mathematical proof is several pages long, and unless you're a math major, most likely unintelligible.