title: Performing the math behind public key cryptography
body: <p>I was pretty fascinated by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QnD2c4Xovk" rel="nofollow">this simple example</a> of the idea behind public key cryptography, and sat down to write my own <code>Client &lt;- Server -&gt; Client</code> example using Java. Just a simple back and forth that encodes messages using the resulting secret.</p>
  
  <p>The problem I initially encountered was a <em>technical</em> one. In the demonstration, the author determines the result of the equation:</p>
  
  <p><code>3 ^ (24 * 54) mod 17</code></p>
  
  <p>With a value:</p>
  
  <p><code>= 1</code></p>
  
  <p><strong>But my question is, how would one approach the calculation of such a large number in Java?</strong></p>
  
  <p>Or is the example provided simply that: <em>an example</em>, and not the actual method of calculation?</p>