What is a one-way function? Provide an example or an analogy to help explain the concept.

What will be an ideal response?

A one-way function is a mathematical formula that's easy to compute in one direction but difficult or nearly impossible to compute in the opposite direction to generate a key. For example, multiplying two large prime numbers to determine their product is easy, but when you're given only the product, determining what numbers were used in the calculation is difficult. A simple analogy is making a smoothie. It's easy to blend a banana, strawberries, and ice cubes in a blender, but if you have to reconstruct the banana, strawberries, and ice cubes into their original state after blending them, you might find the task impossible.