In public key cryptography, what pairs of keys are used?

In public key cryptography, the correct pair of keys used is the public key and the private key. This system relies on the mathematical relationship between the two keys, which work together to facilitate secure communication and encryption.

The public key is shared openly and can be distributed to anyone who wishes to send an encrypted message to the owner of the keys. On the other hand, the private key is kept secret and is known only to the owner. When a message is encrypted using the public key, only the corresponding private key can decrypt it, ensuring that only the intended recipient can access the original message.

This asymmetric nature of public key cryptography enhances security significantly by allowing for secure key exchange and digital signatures. Therefore, using a correct pair of public and private keys is fundamental to the functionality of this cryptographic system.