What is a public key?

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What is a public key?

A public key is a cryptographic key that is used for encryption and is freely available to anyone. It is part of a public key pair, which also includes a private key. The public key is used to encrypt data or messages, while the corresponding private key is kept secret and is used for decryption. Public keys are commonly used in asymmetric encryption algorithms, such as RSA, to ensure secure communication and data exchange.