What is the length of the hash value output of MD2?

The length of the hash value output of the MD2 hashing algorithm is 128 bits. This means that regardless of the size of the input data, the resultant hash will always produce a fixed-length output of 128 bits. MD2, developed by Ronald Rivest in the late 1980s, is designed to create a unique hash value for data integrity verification. The 128-bit length is significant because it provides a substantially large output space, which helps in reducing the likelihood of hash collisions, where two different inputs produce the same hash result.

In practical terms, a 128-bit hash can be represented as 32 hexadecimal digits. This level of hashing is not as strong as newer algorithms like MD5 or SHA-1, which produce larger output lengths, but it was suitable for its time. Understanding the specific output length of MD2 is important in contexts such as cryptographic applications and data integrity checks.