I just started learning about Bitcoin, and something I can figure out is why miners have to use a random process (hashing a nonce) to get lower than the target. For example, if the target is

00000000000001ae00000000000000

why not just produce

000000000000000000000000000001

to become the winner? I have no practical experience mining, I'm guessing my ignorance lies in the requirements of how a hash is produced. If so, where can I found about those requirements? Thanks.

EDIT: For clarity, I mean this in the sense of what part of the technology requires me to use a hash function? As opposed, to just constructing something that looks like a valid hash.

I just started learning about Bitcoin, and something I can figure out is why miners have to use a random process (hashing a nonce) to get lower than the target. For example, if the target is

00000000000001ae00000000000000

why not just produce

000000000000000000000000000001

to become the winner? I have no practical experience mining, I'm guessing my ignorance lies in the requirements of how a hash is produced. If so, where can I find about those requirements? Thanks.

EDIT: For clarity, I mean this in the sense of what part of the technology requires me to use a hash function? Rather than in the sense of just constructing something that looks like a valid hash.

I just started learning about Bitcoin, and something I can figure out is why miners have to use a random process (hashing a nonce) to get lower than the target. For example, if the target is

00000000000001ae00000000000000

why not just produce

000000000000000000000000000001

to become the winner? I have no practical experience mining, I'm guessing my ignorance lies in the requirements of how a hash is produced. If so, where can I found about those requirements? Thanks.

I just started learning about Bitcoin, and something I can figure out is why miners have to use a random process (hashing a nonce) to get lower than the target. For example, if the target is

00000000000001ae00000000000000

why not just produce

000000000000000000000000000001

to become the winner? I have no practical experience mining, I'm guessing my ignorance lies in the requirements of how a hash is produced. If so, where can I found about those requirements? Thanks.

EDIT: For clarity, I mean this in the sense of what part of the technology requires me to use a hash function? As opposed, to just constructing something that looks like a valid hash.