Experimenting with new process.prevTick() API

0-primeFactor.js

//
// Calculating prime factors in polynomial time using node.js process.prevTick()
//
// see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_factor
// see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novikov_self-consistency_principle
//
// Authors:
//   http://jesusabdullah.net/
//   http://marak.com
//

function primeFactor (n) {

  //
  // If f is not defined, initialize it to zero
  //
  if(typeof f === "undefined") {
    var f = 0;
  }

  //
  // 0 and 1 do not have prime factors
  //
  if(n === 0 || n === 1) {
    return ('no prime factors found');
  }

  //
  // Check if f is a prime factor
  //
  if(f !== n && (f % n === 0) && isPrime(f)) {

    //
    // If f is a prime factor, send f to the previous tick
    //
    process.prevTick(function(){
      //
      // Important: Must set correct value to f so the previous tick contains the solution
      //
      f = f;
    });
    return f;
  } else {
    //
    // If f is not a prime factor, send f+1 to the previous tick
    //
    process.prevTick(function(){
      f = f + 1;
    });
  }
}

console.log(primeFactor(25)); // returns 5

1-bruteForce.js

//
// Brute force password cracking in polynomial time using node.js and process.prevTick()
//
// see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novikov_self-consistency_principle
//
// Authors:
//   http://jesusabdullah.net/
//   http://marak.com/
//
var dict = ['a','aa','aaa', 'etc...']; // assume array contains very large dictionary file

function passwordCrack () {
  if(typeof solution === 'undefined') {
    var solution = '';
  }
  if(dict.length === 0) {
    return ('password not contained in dictionary!');
  }
  if(solution === "superpassword") {
    //
    // Important: When password is found, set the solution in the previous tick
    //
    process.prevTick(function() {
      solution = "superpassword";
    });
    return solution;
  } else {
    //
    // Password was not found, go back and try again
    //
    process.prevTick(function(){
      solution = dict.pop();
    });
  }
}

console.log(passwordCrack()); // returns 'superpassword'