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Département de formation doctorale en informatique
UFR STMIA

École doctorale IAEM Lorraine

Speeding up Integer Multiplication andFactorizationAméliorations de la multiplication et de lafactorisation d’entier
THÈSEprésentée et soutenue publiquement le 28 janvier 2010pour l’obtention duDoctorat de l’université Henri Poincaré – Nancy 1(spécialité informatique)parAlexander Kruppa

Composition du jury
Rapporteurs :Karim Belabas (Professeur, Université Bordeaux 1)
Antoine Joux (Professeur associé (P.A.S.T.), Université de Versailles)

Membres du jury :Isabelle Debled-Rennesson (Maı̂tre de conférences, Université Henri Poincaré)
Marc Joye (Cryptographer, Thomson R&D)
Arjen Lenstra (Professeur, EPFL)
Herman te Riele (Directeur de Recherche, CWI)Paul Zimmermann (Directeur de Recherche, INRIA)

Laboratoire Lorrain de Recherche en Informatique et ses Applications — UMR 7503

Mis en page avec la classe thloria.

Contents
Introduction

1

Notation

5

Chapter 1 Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

7

1.1

1.2

1.3

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

1.1.1

The Karatsuba Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8

1.1.2

The Toom-Cook Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9

1.1.3

FFT-based Multiplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10

An Efficient Implementation of Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm . . . . . . . . . .

14

1.2.1

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14

1.2.2

Description of SSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15

1.2.3

17

1.2.4

Arithmetic Modulo 2n + 1 with GMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
√Improved FFT Length Using 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18

1.2.5

Improved Cache Locality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18

1.2.6

Multiplication without Reduction Modulo 2N + 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23

1.2.7

Parameter Selection and Automatic Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24

Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

26

Chapter 2 An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms

29

2.1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

29

2.2

The P–1 Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

29

2.2.1

New Stage 2 Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

30

The P+1 Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

31

2.3.1

Chebyshev Polynomials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

31

2.4

Overview of Stage 2 Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

32

2.5

Justification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

2.6

Selection of S1 and S2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

2.7

Cyclic Convolutions and Polynomial Multiplication with the NTT . . . . . . . . .

35

2.3

i

Contents

ii
2.7.1

Convolutions over Z/N Z with the NTT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36

2.7.2

Reciprocal Laurent Polynomials and Weighted NTT . . . . . . . . . . . .

36

2.7.3

Multiplying General Polynomials by RLPs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

37

2.7.4

Multiplying RLPs without NTT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

39

Computing Coefficients of f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

39

2.8.1

Scaling by a Power and Its Inverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

40

Multipoint Polynomial Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41

2.9.1

Adaptation for P+1 Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

43

2.10 Memory Allocation Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

44

2.10.1 Potentially Large B2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

44

2.11 Opportunities for Parallelization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45

2.12 Our Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45

2.13 Some Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

46

2.8
2.9

Chapter 3 The Number Field Sieve
3.1

3.2

3.3

49

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

49

3.1.1

The Quadratic Sieve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

50

3.1.2

NFS: a First Experiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

50

Overview of NFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

52

3.2.1

Polynomial Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

53

3.2.2

Sieving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

54

3.2.3

Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

55

3.2.4

Linear Algebra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

57

3.2.5

Square Root . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

58

NFS Factoring Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

59

Chapter 4 Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

61

4.1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

61

4.2

Trial Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

63

4.2.1

Trial Division Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

63

4.2.2

Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

64

4.2.3

Use in NFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

65

4.2.4

Testing Several Primes at Once . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

65

4.2.5

Performance of Trial Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

65Modular Arithmetic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

66

4.3.1

Assembly Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

66

4.3.2

Modular Reduction with REDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

68

4.3

iii

4.4
4.5

4.6

4.7

4.8

4.3.3

Modular Inverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

69

4.3.4

Modular Division by Small Integers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

71

P–1 Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

71

4.4.1

P–1 Stage 1 Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

72

P+1 Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

73

4.5.1

Lucas Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

73

4.5.2

Byte Code and Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

77

4.5.3

P+1 Stage 1 Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

78

ECM Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

78

4.6.1

ECM Stage 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

79

4.6.2

Choice of Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

80

4.6.3

Lucas Chains for ECM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

81

4.6.4

ECM Stage 1 Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

82

Stage 2 for P–1, P+1, and ECM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

82

4.7.1

Generating Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

84

4.7.2

Initialisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

85

4.7.3

Executing Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

87

4.7.4

P+1 and ECM stage 2 Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

87

4.7.5

Overall Performance of P–1, P+1 and ECM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

87

Comparison to Hardware Implementations of ECM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

87

Chapter 5 Parameter selection for P–1, P+1, and ECM

93

5.1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

93

5.2

Parametrization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

94

5.2.1

Parametrization for P–1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

94

5.2.2

Parametrization for P+1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

94

5.2.3

Parametrization for ECM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

95

5.2.4

Choice of Stage 1 Multiplier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

96

Estimating Success Probability of P–1, P+1, and ECM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

97

5.3.1

Smooth Numbers and the Dickman Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

97

5.3.2

Effect of Divisibility Properties on Smoothness Probability . . . . . . . . . 101

5.3.3

Success Probability for the Two-Stage Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

5.3.4

Experimental Results

5.3

5.4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Distribution of Divisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
5.4.1

Evaluating ω(u)5.4.2

Estimating Φ(x, y) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

5.4.3

Divisors in Numbers with no Small Prime Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

iv

Contents

Conclusion

107

Bibliography

109

List of Figures
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
4.1
4.2
5.1
5.2

Data flow in a length-8 FFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Diagram of mappings in the Schönhage-Strassen algorithm. . . . . . . . . . . . .
The FFT circuit of length 8 and a butterfly tree of depth 3. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Time for a length 128 and length 256 (k = 8) FFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Time to multiply numbers with an FFT of length 2k for k = 5, 6, 7 . . . . . . . .
Comparison of GMP 4.1.4, GMP 4.2.1, Magma V2.13-6 and the new code . . . .
Time for multiplication with our implementation, Prime95 and Glucas . . . . . .
Number of bits which can be stored in an IEEE 754 double-precision floating point
number for provably correct multiplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Number of primes p in 230 , 230 + 108 where the largest prime factor of p − 1,
respectively the number of Pollard-Rho iterations to find p, is in [100n, 100n + 99]
Length of binary and optimal Lucas chains for odd primes p in [100, 15000] . . .

13
15
20
25
26
27
28
28
63
75

The Dickman function ρ(u) for 1 ≤ u ≤ 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
The Buchstab function ω(u) for 1 ≤ u ≤ 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104v

vi

List of Figures

List of Tables
2.1
2.2
2.3

Estimated memory usage while factoring 230-digit number . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Large P±1 factors found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Timing for 24142 + 1 factorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45
47
47

3.1
3.2

Records for the General Number Field Sieve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Records for the Special Number Field Sieve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

60
60

4.1 Time for trial division of 107 consecutive integers by the first n odd primes . . . . 66
4.2 Time for P–1 stage 1 with different B1 values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4.3 Binary and optimal Lucas chains for small odd values n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
4.4 Time for P+1 stage 1 with different B1 values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
4.5 Some elliptic curves chosen by the Brent-Suyama and Montgomery’s parametrization 81
4.6 Time for ECM stage 1 with different B1 values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
4.7 Time for P+1 stage 2 with different B2 values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
4.8 Time for ECM stage 2 with different B2 values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
4.9 Expected time and probability to find prime factors with P–1 . . . . . . . . . . . 89
4.10 Expected time and probability per curve to find prime factors with ECM . . . . . 90
4.11 Comparison of ECM on a Virtex FPGA and on AMD microprocessors . . . . . . 91
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5

Average exponent of small primes in the order of elliptic curves with Brent-Suyama
or Montgomery parametrization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A comparisonof experimentalcount and estimated number of x1/3 -smooth numbers in x − 5 · 107 , x + 5 · 107 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comparison of estimated probability of finding a prime factor with the P–1, P+1,
and ECM algorithm with empirical results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The number of positive integers up to 109 without prime divisors up to y andcomparison to estimates based on Buchstab’s function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
The number
factors
among the z1 < p ≤ z1 + 10 with multiplicity
 of18 prime
18
11
without prime divisors up to 107 , and comparison
integers in 10 , 10 + 10
to estimates using Buchstab’s function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

vii

96
101
103
105

106

viii

List of Tables

ix

Acknowledgments
I have profited enormously from working in an outstanding group of researchers for the durationof my thesis, and I’d like to thank all the members of the CACAO/CARAMEL team at LORIA
whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting during my stay. I thank especially Jérémy Detrey,
Antonio Vera and Sylvain Chevillard for their help with writing the French part of the thesis.
The countless chats with Pierrick Gaudry were a delightful pastime and provided invaluable
discussion of the algorithms presented here.
I’ve had the honor and pleasure of working with Peter Lawrence Montgomery and thank him
for offering me this opportunity. Few have shaped modern integer factoring as much as he did,and reading his earlier work is a large part of what originally got me interested in the subject.
Above all I am indebted to my thesis advisor Paul Zimmermann for accepting me as his
student and his continual support and expert advice on all aspects of this thesis.

xIntroduction
Integer multiplication is used in practically every arithmetic algorithm, and problems in algorithmic number theory in particular often require rapid multiplication of very large integers. Factorization of integers is one of the fundamental problems in number theory and gained significant
practical importance with the advent of the RSA public-key cryptographic system whose security
relies on the difficulty of factoring. This thesis presents improvements to the Schönhage-Strassen
algorithm for multiplication of large integers, to the P–1 and P+1 methods of factorization whichquickly find prime factors p where p − 1 or p + 1 have themselves no large prime factors, andto the Number Field Sieve which is the fastest algorithm for factoring composite integers whichhave no easy to find prime factors, such as occur in cryptographic applications.
Integer multiplication is ubiquitous, and multiplication of large integers occurs frequently
enough in scientific computation that it is somewhat surprising that the first algorithm faster thanthe O(n2 ) bit operations required by the trivial grammar-school multiplication was discovered
only in 1962. In that year, Karatsuba and Ofman [51] showed how to reduce the problem ofmultiplying n-bit numbers to three multiplications of n/2-bit numbers, achieving asymptotic
complexity O(n1.585 ). A year later, Toom [97] generalized Karatsuba and Ofman’s algorithm byexpressing integer multiplication by polynomial multiplication and using polynomial evaluation,
point-wise multiplication, and interpolation to compute the product polynomial. This allows
reducing the computation to 2k − 1 pieces of n/k bits each, for asymptotic cost O(nlogk (2k−1) )for k fixed. In principle, this permits any exponent 1 + ǫ in the asymptotic cost function,
however, large k are not efficient for input numbers of realistic size as the cost of evaluationand interpolation would dominate. In 1971, Schönhage and Strassen [90] essentially solved the
problem of fast integer multiplication by using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), discovered by
Cooley and Tukey in 1965 [29], to perform the required convolution product. Their method uses
time only O(n log(n) log(log(n))) to multiply n-bit numbers. Many programming libraries for
multiple precision arithmetic offer a fast integer multiplication algorithm. One such library is the
Gnu Multiple Precision arithmetic library (GMP) [49], developed mainly by Torbjörn Granlund.
It is widely used and enjoys a reputation for being exceptionally fast, both due to careful choiceof algorithms and highly optimized implementation. It uses the Schönhage-Strassen algorithm
for multiplication of very large integers. One application where the large-integer multiplicationof GMP is used extensively is GMP-ECM [103], an implementation of the P–1, P+1, and Elliptic
Curve methods of factorization developed mainly by Paul Zimmermann.
Integer factoring is an ancient problem in number theory. It ceased to be a questionof purely academic interest and turned into a matter of significant economic relevance withthe publication of the now widely used Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) public-key cryptographic
system [85] which relies on the intractability of factoring large integers. Fermat’s Little Theorem
statesap−1 ≡ 1(mod p)1

Introduction

2
for any prime p and p ∤ a, which Euler extended to composite moduli byaφ(N ) ≡ 1(mod N )for gcd(a, N ) = 1, where φ(N ) is the Euler totient function, defined byφ(pν11 · · · pνkk ) = (p1 − 1)p1ν1 −1 · · · (pk − 1)pνkk −1
with p1 , . . . , pk distinct primes and ν1 , . . . , νk positive integers. Thus, given the prime factorization of N , it is easy to compute φ(N ). RSA uses a public key for encryption, consisting of an
odd composite modulus N = pq with p, q primes of roughly equal size, and a public exponent e.
For decryption it uses a private key, consisting of N again and an integer d such thatde ≡ 1(mod φ(N )),i.e., de = kφ(N )+1 for some integer k. It encrypts a message expressed as an integer 1 < m < N
byc = me mod N,
and decrypts c to recover the original message by
cd mod N = mde mod N = mkφ(N )+1 mod N = m.
Factoring N reveals d and so breaks the encryption. The keys for RSA are therefore chosen to
be as difficult as possible to factor with known algorithms, and of a size that is expected to beout of reach for computing resources available during the key’s intended lifetime.
Factoring algorithms can be divided into two classes: special-purpose algorithms, and generalpurpose algorithms. The former make use of certain properties of the prime factors, most commonly their size, and their run time hardly depends on the size of the input number (usually
only like the complexity of integer multiplication), but greatly on whether its factors have thedesired property. The run time of general-purpose algorithms depends almost exclusively on thesize of the input number, and not on any special properties of the factors. RSA keys are chosen
to be resistant to special-purpose methods so that only general-purpose algorithms are relevantto their security. The best currently known factoring algorithm for attacking RSA is the Number
Field Sieve (NFS) with time complexity conjectured to be in LN [1/3, (64/9)1/3 ], whereα

Lx [α, c] = e(c+o(1)) log(x) log(log(x))

1−αfor x → ∞, and the cost of factoring with the NFS is the major criterion for rating the securityof RSA key sizes. In spite of being useless for breaking RSA directly, special-purpose factoringalgorithms are still of great interest, on one hand for factoring numbers that aren’t RSA keys
and may have easy-to-find factors, and as a sub-routine for the NFS.
A central concept to modern integer factoring algorithms is that of smoothness: an integer
is called B-smooth if no prime factor exceeding B divides it, and B-powersmooth if no prime orprime power exceeding B divides it.
The P–1 algorithm published by Pollard in 1974 [80] was the first of a class of special-purpose
factoring algorithms that find a prime factor p of N quickly if the order of a finite group definedover Fp is smooth. In the case of the P–1 algorithm, the group is simply the group of units of Fp
and has order p−1. Stage 1 of his algorithm chooses some integer x0 coprime to N and computes
xe0 mod N , with e including all primes and prime powers up to a chosen bound B1 . If p − 1 is
B1 -powersmooth and thus divides e, then xe0 ≡ 1 (mod p), and gcd(xe0 − 1, N ) usually reveals p

3
except when this gcd is composite. Pollard further proposes a stage 2 which looks for a collision
modulo p in selected powers of xe0 which allows him to discover prime factors p where p−1 contains
a single prime between B1 and a second bound B2 , but is otherwise
B1 -powersmooth. He shows√that a prime factor p can be found in time O pM (log(N )) if the collision detection is done bypolynomial multipoint evaluation with a fast FFT-based multiplication routine. Williams [101]extends Pollard’s P–1 idea to the P+1 method which finds a prime p quickly if one of p − 1 or
p + 1 is smooth. The P–1 and P+1 algorithms sometimes find surprisingly large factors quickly
if p − 1 or p + 1 happens to be smooth enough, but if both group orders contain a large prime
factor, then these methods are powerless. For example, a fraction of about 1 − log(2) of integers
up to N is N 1/2 -smooth (see Section 5.3.1), so roughly half of the 40-digit primes p have a prime
factor exceeding 20 digits in both p − 1 and p + 1, which makes these primes impractical to findwith either method.
Pollard’s idea for an asymptotically fast FFT stage 2 to the P–1 algorithm was first implemented by Montgomery and Silverman [74]. The authors suggest several ideas to speed up theiralgorithm further, and to adapt it to the P+1 factoring method.
The asymptotically fastest special-purpose factoring algorithm is the Elliptic Curve Method(ECM) by H. W. Lenstra Jr. [62] which can be viewed as a generalization of P–1 and P+1 in√that it works in a group of points on an elliptic curve over Fp with group order in [p−2 p+1, p+√
2 p + 1], depending on the curve parameters. It has the major advantage that it can keep trying
different curves until a lucky curve with smooth group order is found. With optimal choice ofparameters, ECM√has conjectured complexity of Lp [1/2, 2] to find a prime factor p which, in theworst case of p ≈ N , leads to LN [1/2, 1], making it the currently only special-purpose factoringalgorithm with sub-exponential running time. Brent [15] and Montgomery [65] present stage 2
extensions for ECM, and Montgomery [74] develops an FFT stage 2.
Even though ECM has far superior asymptotic complexity and the P–1 and P+1 methods
act, in a way, merely as two particular attempts at a smooth group order among the nearlyendless number of such trials offered by ECM, the older methods have some advantages thatstill keep them useful. One advantage is sheer speed. The arithmetic during stage 1 is much
simpler for P–1 and P+1 than for ECM so that with comparable parameters, less CPU timeis spent. Another advantage is that for P–1 and P+1, a much faster FFT stage 2 algorithm ispossible, due to the fact that Z/N Z (or a quadratic extension thereof for P+1) has ring structure,
which is not the case for the group of points on an elliptic curve. The ring structure permits aparticularly efficient polynomial multipoint evaluation algorithm, allowing stage 2 to run withmuch less CPU and memory usage than is possible for the FFT extension for ECM. Finally, forsome input numbers p − 1 is known to have a divisor n (e.g., cyclotomic numbers φn (x) for n,x ∈ N, unless p | n), which increases the probability that (p − 1)/n is smooth. These advantages
make it quite reasonable to give P–1 and P+1 a try before moving on to the fundamentally more
powerful, but also computationally more expensive ECM algorithm.
Currently the best factoring algorithm for attacking RSA moduli (and other numbers without
small or otherwise easy to find prime factors) is the Number Field Sieve. It was first proposed byPollard in 1988 [82] and originally required that the integer to be factored has a simple algebraic
form such as an ± c with small a and c, but in the following years was extended to factoring
general integers [20]. It factors an integer N in conjectured time LN [1/3, c] with c = (32/9)1/3 for
input numbers of simple enough form, in which case the algorithm is called the Special Number
Field Sieve (SNFS), or with c = (64/9)1/3 for general integers, then called General Number Field
Sieve (GNFS). An early success for the SNFS was the factorization of the 9th Fermat number
9F9 = 22 + 1 in 1990 [61] and for the GNFS that of a 130-digit RSA factoring challenge number
in 1996. In January 2010, the largest SNFS factorization is that of 21039 − 1 in 2007 [2], whereas

4Introduction

the GNFS record is the factorization of a 768-bit (232-digit) RSA challenge number in 2009 [55].
Like other general-purpose factoring algorithms, the NFS factors an integer N by finding a
congruence of squares, x2 ≡ y 2 (mod N ) with x 6= ±y (mod N ), from which a non-trivial factorof N is obtained by taking gcd(x+y, N ). The values of x and y are found by collecting a large setof “relations,” which are essentially pairs of smooth integers, from which a subset can be chosen
so that in their product each prime occurs in even exponent, resulting in squares. The mosttime consuming part of the NFS (in both Special and General variant) is the relation collection
phase which examines a very large number of polynomial values to look for smooth values by useof sieving techniques and other factoring algorithms. Here, an integer n is considered smooth
if it contains only prime factors up to a sieving bound B, except for up to k integers up toa large prime bound L. The sieving routine reports such n where the cofactor after dividing
out the primes up B is small enough, say below Lk . These cofactors need to be factored totest if any prime factor exceeds L. The memory consumption of the sieving increases withB, and for large-scale factorizations the available memory frequently limits B so that L andperhaps k need to be increased to allow sufficiently many values to pass as smooth. This way,a very large number of such cofactors occur during the sieving for an NFS factorization, andalgorithms optimized for high-throughput factorization of small integers need to be used to avoid
the cofactorization becoming the bottleneck of the sieving process. The Elliptic Curve Method
is frequently suggested for this purpose [7] [41], and the P–1 and P+1 methods are likewise goodcandidates.

Contributions
In joint work with Pierrick Gaudry and Paul Zimmermann, we developed an improved implementation of the Schönhage-Strassen integer multiplication algorithm, based on the code in GMP
version 4.1.4 which was written by Paul Zimmermann. The new implementation improves cache
locality during the FFT phase, increases the possible convolution length for given input size, anduses fine-grained choice of convolution length and other parameters depending on the size of the
input numbers. It is described in Chapter 1. These improvements resulted in a factor 2 speedup
over the code in GMP 4.1.4.
In joint work with Montgomery, we have implemented an improved version of the P–1 andP+1 stage 2 algorithm that implements the ideas mentioned in [74] and other improvements.
The implementation is based on GMP-ECM and is described in Chapter 2.
A library for high-throughput factorization of integers up to 38 digits, using the P–1, P+1,
and ECM algorithms, has been written for use in the NFS siever program developed in thecontext of the CADO project (Crible algébrique: distribution, optimisation). Chapter 3 contains
an overview of the NFS algorithm. The details of the small-integer factoring implementation arefound in Chapter 4, and its cost-efficiency is compared to proposed hardware implementationsof ECM for NFS. An outline of methods to estimate the success probability of finding factors
with the P–1, P+1 and ECM algorithms in cofactors produced by the NFS sieving step is given
in Chapter 5.

Notation
An overview of mathematical notation used throughout the thesis. Most of it follows common
usage, but is listed here for reference.
Sets:
C
N
P
Q
Z

The complex numbers
The non-negative integers
The rational primes
The rational numbers
The integers

Relations:a|b
a divides b, there is an integer k such that b = kaa∤ba does not divide ba⊥ba is coprime to b, gcd(a, b) = 1
a || ba divides b exactly, a | b and b/a ⊥ aFunctions:log(x)The natural logarithm of x
logb (x) The logarithm of x to base bφ(n)The Euler totient function, the number of integers 1 ≤ k < n with k ⊥ n
 
a
p

π(n)
⌊n⌋
⌈n⌉
⌊n⌉
Valp (n)The Legendre symbol for a (mod p)

The prime counting function, the number of primes not exceeding n
The floor function, the largest integer k with k ≤ n
The ceiling function, the smallest integer k with k ≥ n
The nearest integer function, ⌊n + 12 ⌋The p-adic valuation of n

Other frequently used symbols:β
The machine word base, typically β = 232 or β = 2645

6

NotationChapter 1

Integer Multiplication with
Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm
1.1

Introduction

The text in Sections 1.2 and 1.3 of this chapter is based on joint work with P. Gaudry and
P. Zimmermann which was published in [46].
Multiplication of integers is one of the most basic operations in arithmetic and as such plays avital role in computational arithmetic. For many algorithms the time spent performing multiplications dominates. Numerous other operations can be reduced to integer multiplication: modular
multiplication (by Barrett reduction [5] or Montgomery’s REDC [64]), polynomial multiplication,
multi-point evaluation and factorization, or root-finding by iterative methods.
In several applications, the integers to be multiplied are large, in particular when reducing
polynomial arithmetic to integer multiplication [99, 8.4], for high-precision evaluation of constants, primality testing or integer factorization. Allan Steel [94] gives an overview of algorithms
that can be implemented efficiently by reduction to multiplication. For these, a multiplication
algorithm with low asymptotic complexity is required to make large operand sizes practical.
PnPji
Given two multiple precision non-negative integers a = m
j=0 bj w with
i=0 ai w and b =Pm+n+1word base w and 0 ≤ ai , bj < w, we would like to compute the integer c = k=0
ck wk = abwith 0 ≤ ck < w. The convolution product of the sums for a and b yields
ab =

m
X

ai w i

i=0

=

m+n
X
k=0

n
X

bj w j(1.1)

j=0min(k,n)w

Xkak−j bj .

j=max(0,k−m)

Hence we can set
min(k,n)ĉk :=

X

ak−j bj(1.2)

j=max(0,k−m)

Pm+n+1Pkand have c = k=0
ck wk = m+nk=0 ĉk w , however ck 6= ĉk in general since the ĉk may belarger than w (but they do not exceed min(m + 1, n + 1) · (w − 1)2 ). The desired ck values canbe obtained by an additional step commonly called “carry propagation:” set ĉm+n+1 := 0 and
7

8Chapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

then, for k = 0, . . . , m + n in sequence,

ĉk



ĉk
w
:= ĉk mod w.

ĉk+1 := ĉk+1 +

P
The sum m+n+1
ĉk wk is invariant under this process, and finally all ĉk < w so we can set
k=0
ck := ĉk .
The steps of decomposing the input integers into a sequence of digits in a convenient word basew, performing a convolution product on these sequences, and obtaining the correct sequence ofdigits of the product by carry propagation is common to multiple precision integer multiplication
algorithms. With suitable choice of w, e.g., a power of 2 on a binary computer, the two stepsof decomposition and carry propagation are inexpensive, requiring only O(n + m) additions or
assignments of integers of size O(log(w)). The main difference between multiplication algorithms
is how the convolution product is computed, and this is where they greatly differ in speed.
The most simple convolution algorithm, the “grammar-school” method, computes each ĉkindividually by the sum (1.2). This involves (m + 1)(n + 1) multiplications of single digit (in basew) integers ai and bj and about as many additions; assuming constant cost for these operations,the algorithm has complexity in O(mn), or for m and n of equal size, O(n2 ).

1.1.1

The Karatsuba Algorithm

The first algorithm to offer better asymptotic complexity than the grammar-school method
was introduced in 1962 by A. Karatsuba and Yu. Ofman [51] (English translation in [52]),
commonly called Karatsuba’s method. The idea is to compute a product of two 2n-word inputs
by three products of n-word values (whereas the grammar-school method would require four suchproducts). Writing a = a1 w + a0 and b = b1 w + b0 , where 0 ≤ a0 , a1 , b0 , b1 < w, we can computethe convolution product ĉ2 w2 + ĉ1 w + ĉ0 = a1 b1 w2 + (a0 b1 + a1 b0 )w + a0 b0 viaĉ2 = a1 b1ĉ0 = a0 b0ĉ1 = (a1 + a0 )(b1 + b0 ) − ĉ2 − ĉ0 .
This method can be applied recursively, where the size of the numbers to be multiplied is about
halved in each recursive step, until they are small enough for the final multiplications to be
carried out by elementary means, such as one-word multiplication or the grammar-school method.
Assuming a threshold of one machine word for these small multiplications so that they haveconstant cost, Karatsuba’s method performs multiplication of 2n -word inputs in O(3n ) one-word
multiplications and O(3n ) additions, for a complexity of O(nlog2 (3) ) ⊂ O(n1.585 ).
The underlying principle of Karasuba’s short-cut is that of evaluation and interpolation ofpolynomials to obtain the coefficients of the product. Multiplication of multi-digit integers is
intimately related to multiplication of polynomials withcoefficients. P
Given the integers
Pm integernji and B(x) =axa and b in base w notation, we can write A(x) =i
j=0 bj x so thati=0
a = A(w) and b = B(w). Now we can compute the product polynomial C(x) = A(x)B(x) andfind c = ab = C(w). The step of breaking down the input integers into digits in a certain wordbase amounts to obtaining the coefficients of a polynomial, the convolution product computes
the product polynomial C(x), and the carry propagation step evaluates C(w).
In Karatsuba’s method, the product polynomial C(x) is computed by evaluating C(x) =A(x)B(x) at sufficiently many points x so that the coefficients of C(x) can be determined1.1. Introduction

9uniquely. In the description given above (Karatsuba and Ofman’s original description reduces
multiplication to two squarings first), we compute A(0) = a0 , B(0) = b0 , A(1) = a1 + a0 ,B(1) = b1 + b0 and (formally1 ) A(∞) = a1 , B(∞) = b1 in what constitutes the evaluation phaseof the algorithm.
The values of the product polynomial C(x) are the products of the values of A(x) and B(x):C(0) = A(0)B(0), C(1) = A(1)B(1), and C(∞) = A(∞)B(∞). In this step, the results of theevaluation phase are multiplied pair-wise. In Karatsuba’s method, three products are computed,
each multiplying numbers half the size of the input integers.
A polynomial of degree d is uniquely determined given d + 1 values at distinct points, so thesethree values suffice to obtain the coefficients of C(x) = ĉ2 x2 + ĉ1 x + ĉ0 in the interpolation phaseof the algorithm. In the case of Karatsuba’s method this is particularly simple, since ĉ0 = C(0),ĉ2 = C(∞) and ĉ1 = C(1) − ĉ2 − ĉ0 .

1.1.2

The Toom-Cook Algorithm

In 1963, A. L. Toom [97] (English translation in [98]) suggested a method which implements ageneralization of Karatsuba’s method that allows splitting the input numbers into more than
two pieces each, leading to polynomials of larger degree but smaller coefficients that must be
multiplied. Cook’s thesis [28] translates the method to an algorithm, it is now commonly called
Toom-Cook method.
two (rintegers a and b, we can compute their productPr+ 1)-word
Pr Giveniiby writing
i=0 ai w , b =P i=0 bi w , 0 ≤ ai , bi < w, and multiplying the polynomialsPPa =i
A(x) = ri=0 ai xi and B(x) = ri=0 bi xi to obtain the product polynomial C(x) = 2ri=0 ĉi xof degree 2r by evaluating A(x) and B(x) at 2r + 1 distinct points, pair-wise multiplication of
the values (each about 1/(r + 1) the size of the input numbers) and interpolating C(x). For
example, for r = 2, the points of evaluation x = 0, ∞, ±1, and 2 could be chosen, so that
A(0) = a0 , A(∞) = a2 , A(1) = a2 + a1 + a0 , A(−1) = a2 − a1 + a0 , and A(2) = 4a2 + 2a1 + a0
(likewise for B(x)). After the pair-wise products to obtain
P C(0), C(∞), C(1), C(−1), and C(2),the interpolation determines the coefficients of C(x) = 4i=0 ci xi by, e.g.,ĉ0 = C(0)ĉ4 = C(∞)
2ĉ2 = C(1) + C(−1) − 2ĉ4 − 2ĉ0

6ĉ3 = C(2) − 2C(1) − 14ĉ4 − 2ĉ2 + ĉ0ĉ1 = C(1) − ĉ4 − ĉ3 − ĉ2 − ĉ0 .

Toom-Cook with r = 2 computes a product of two 3n-word integers with five products of
two n-word integers each; applied recursively, the asymptotic cost of this method is O(nlog3 (5) ) ⊂O(n1.47 ) and in general, for a fixed r, O(nlogr+1 (2r+1) ).
Even for r = 2 the evaluation phase and especially the interpolation phase are noticeably
more involved than for Karatsuba’s method. This complexity quickly grows with r; if carried out
in a straight-forward manner, the evaluation and interpolation performs O(r2 ) multiplicationsof O(n/r)-bit integers with O(log(r)) bit integers which yields a complexity of O(rn log(r)), andselection of optimal sets of points of evaluation and of interpolation sequences is non-trivial [13].
Hence for a given n we cannot increase r arbitrarily: the increase of cost of evaluation andinterpolation quickly exceeds the saving due to smaller pair-wise products. Toom shows that by
1

Evaluating a polynomial f (x) at x = ∞ should be interpreted as evaluating the homogenized polynomial
F (x, y) = y deg(f ) f (x/y) at (x, y) = (1, 0); the point (1, 0) of the projective line corresponds to the point at infinityof the affine line.

10

Chapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm√
choice of r = c log(n/r) with a suitable constant c, an algorithm with complexity in O(n1+ǫ ) for
any positive ǫ can be obtained; however to reach small ǫ, unreasonably large n are required.
An advantage of Karatsuba’s method over Toom-Cook with r > 1 is that no division isrequired in the interpolation stage which makes it applicable over finite fields of small characteristic. Montgomery [71], extending work by Weimerskirch and Paar [100], gives division-freeKaratsuba-like formulas that split the input into more than two parts and obtain the productcoefficients (in a manner that does not adhere to the evaluation/interpolation principle) with anumber of multiplications closer to nlog2 (3) than plain Karatsuba does when n is not a power of
2.

1.1.3

FFT-based Multiplication

The problem of costly evaluation and interpolation can be overcome by use of the Fast Fourier
Transform (FFT). An FFT of length ℓ computes from a0 , . . . , aℓ−1 ∈ R with R a suitable ring
aj =

ℓ−1
X

ai ω ij ,i=0

j = 0, . . . , ℓ − 1(1.3)

where ω ∈ R is an ℓ-th primitive root of unity (which must exist for R to bePsuitable).
i
When the ai are interpreted as coefficients of the polynomial A(x) = ℓ−1
i=0 ai x , the FFT
can be viewed as a polynomial multi-point evaluation scheme
aj = A(ω j )which evaluates A(x) at the ℓ distinct points ω j . Likewise, the inverse FFT computes thepolynomial coefficients ai from the FFT coefficients aj byℓ−1

1X
aj ω −ij ,
ai =
ℓ
j=0

i = 0, . . . , ℓ − 1.

(1.4)

The division by ℓ requires that ℓ is a unit in R. To see that (1.4) P
is the inverse operation of
k j(1.3), we can substitute aj in (1.4) as defined in (1.3) and note that ℓ−1
j=0 (ω ) is zero for ℓ ∤ k,and is ℓ for ℓ | k.
In practice the FFT is fastest to compute if ℓ is a power of 2. Assume ℓ = 2k and rewrite(1.3) as
aj =

ℓ−1
X

ℓ/2−1

ai ω ij=i=0

a2i ω 2ij +X

a2i ω 2ij + ω j

i=0

ℓ/2−1

=

ℓ/2−1

X
i=0

X

a2i+1 ω (2i+1)j

i=0

ℓ/2−1

X

a2i+1 ω 2ij

i=0

for j = 0, . . . , ℓ − 1. Since ω ℓ = 1, we have ω 2j = ω 2(j−ℓ/2) so each of the two sums takes only
Pℓ/2−1Pℓ/2−1ℓ/2 distinct values. These values aeven= i=0 a2i (ω 2 )ij and aodd
= i=0 a2i+1 (ω 2 )ij forjj
j = 0, . . . , ℓ/2−1 are the FFT of length ℓ/2 of the coefficients of even and odd index, respectively.
Hence an FFT of length ℓ can be computed by two FFTs of length ℓ/2 and O(ℓ) additionalring operations. An FFT of length ℓ = 1 is just the identity function. Thus the arithmetic
complexity F (ℓ) of the FFT satisfies F (1) = 1, F (2ℓ) = 2F (ℓ) + O(ℓ) and so F (ℓ) ∈ O(ℓ log(ℓ))
ring operations.

1.1. Introduction

11

Also, since ω j+ℓ/2 = −ω j , we can computeaj= aeven+ ω j aodd
j
j

(1.5)

aj+ℓ = aeven− ω j aoddjjwhere the product ω j aodd
needs to be computed only once, for j = 0, . . . , ℓ/2. This operationj

can be performed in-place, with aj and aj+ℓ overwriting aevenand aodd, respectively. Hence anjj
FFT algorithm can be formulated as in Algorithm 1. This recursive algorithm was first publishedby Cooley and Tukey [29], although the relevant identities were known to previous authors [30],including Gauss.
This algorithm operates in-place, and at each recursion level the input coefficients ai of evenindex i are expected in the lower half of the data array and those of odd index in the upper half,
for the sub-FFT being computed. Over the entire recursion, this requires coefficients ai where
the least significant bit (LSB) of i is zero to be located in the low half of the input array and thosewhere the LSB of i is one in the upper half. Within these two halves, coefficients with the second
LSB of i equal zero must be in the lower half again, etc. This leads to a storage location for ai
bit-reverse of the k-bit
that is the bit-reverse of the index i. Let bitrevk (i), 0 ≤ i < 2k denote thePninteger i (extended to k bits with leading zero bits if necessary): if i = k−1
n=0 in 2 , in ∈ {0, 1},Pk−1nkthen bitrevk (i) = n=0 ik−1−n 2 . Hence for a length ℓ = 2 in-place FFT, the input coefficientai must be placed in location bitrevk (i) in the data array. The output coefficient aj is stored inlocation j. The reordering process due to in-place FFT algorithms is called “scrambling”.
Procedure FFT_DIT (ℓ, a, ω)Input: Transform length ℓ = 2k , k ∈ N
Input coefficients a0,...,ℓ−1 ∈ R, stored in bit-reversed order<i<ℓRoot of unity ω ∈ R, ω ℓ = 1, ω i 6=
P1 for 0 ij
Output: The FFT coefficients aj = ℓ−1aω
stored in normal order, replacing the
i=0 i
input

if ℓ > 1 thenFFT_DIT(ℓ/2, a0,...,ℓ/2−1 , ω 2 ) ;FFT_DIT(ℓ/2, aℓ/2,...,ℓ−1 , ω 2 ) ;for i := 0 to ℓ/2 − 1 do
(ai , ai+ℓ/2 ) := (ai + ω i ai+ℓ/2 , ai − ω i ai+ℓ/2 ) ;Algorithm 1: Recursive Cooley-Tukey algorithm for Fast Fourier Transform

The Cooley-Tukey in-place FFT can be used by passing the input coefficients in bit-reverse
order, and fast algorithms exist to perform this permutation [86]. However, for computing convolution products with the FFT, a more elegant solution is available. Gentleman and Sande [47]presented an alternative algorithm for computing the FFT that can be derived by splitting thecomputation of aj in (1.3) by even and odd j rather than even and odd i:

a2j

=

ℓ−1
X

ℓ/2−1

ai ω 2ij =i=0

a2j+1 =

ℓ−1
X
i=0

X

(ai + ai+ℓ/2 )ω 2ij

=

X

i=0

ℓ/2−1

ai ω

i(2j+1)i=0

ω i (ai − ai+ℓ/2 )ω 2ij

12

Chapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

Hence we can compute the length-ℓ FFT from the two length-ℓ/2 FFTs of the coefficientsaeven= ai + ai+ℓ/2
i

(1.6)

aodd
= ω i (ai − ai+ℓ/2 ),ifor 0 ≤ i < ℓ/2. This leads to Algorithm 2 which takes unscrambled input (coefficient ai inarray location i) and produces scrambled output (coefficient aj in array location bitrevk (j)).
Additionally, the Cooley-Tukey algorithm can be used for an inverse FFT simply by replacing ωby ω −1 everywhere and dividing each output coefficient by ℓ. For the pair-wise multiplication,
whether the FFT coefficients are scrambled or not does not matter, so long as both sequencesof FFT coefficients are in the same order. Hence we can use the Gentleman-Sande algorithm forcomputing forward FFTs producing scrambled output, do point-wise multiplication of the FFT
coefficients, and use the Cooley-Tukey algorithm for the inverse FFT taking scrambled input andproducing output in normal order. This way, explicit re-ordering with a bit-reversal algorithm
is avoided completely.
Procedure FFT_DIF (ℓ, a, ω)Input: Transform length ℓ = 2k , k ∈ N
Input coefficients a0,...,ℓ−1 ∈ R stored in normal order
Root of unity ω ∈ R, ω ℓ = 1, ω i 6=
for 0 < i < ℓP1ℓ−1
Output: The FFT coefficients aj = i=0 ai ω ij , stored in bit-reversed order, replacing
the input
if ℓ > 1 thenfor i := 0 to ℓ/2 − 1 do
(ai , ai+ℓ/2 ) := (ai + ai+ℓ/2 , ω i (ai − ai+ℓ/2 )) ;FFT_DIF(ℓ/2, a0,...,ℓ/2−1 , ω 2 ) ;FFT_DIF (ℓ/2, aℓ/2,...,ℓ−1 , ω 2 ) ;Algorithm 2: Recursive Gentleman-Sande algorithm for Fast Fourier TransformWhen multiplying two polynomials A(x) of degree m and B(x) of degree n, the productpolynomial C(x) has degree m + n, and an FFT of length m + n + 1 ≤ ℓ is required to determine
the coefficients of C(x) uniquely. The same transform length must be used for the forward
transforms (evaluating A(x) and B(x)) and for the inverse transform (interpolating C(x)); inthe forward transform, the coefficients of A(x) and B(x) are padded with zeros to fill the inputof the FFT up to the transform length.
If the degrees of the input polynomials are too large so that m + n + 1 > ℓ, the productpolynomial C(x) cannot be interpolated correctly. Let C(x) = xℓ C1 (x) + C0 (x), deg(C0 (x)) < ℓ.
Since ω ℓ = 1, C(ω j ) = C1 (ω j )+C0 (ω j ) for all j ∈ N, so polynomials C(x) and C(x) mod (xℓ − 1)have the same FFT coefficients, and the interpolation of polynomials with an inverse FFT oflength ℓ from a given set of FFT coefficients is unique only modulo xℓ − 1. In other words,
the coefficients of too high powers xi , i ≥ ℓ, in the product polynomial are wrapped around andadded to the coefficients of xi mod ℓ , also called cyclic wrap-around or a cyclic convolution. Hencefor inputs A(x), B(x), a convolution product with a length-ℓ FFT produces the ℓ coefficientsof A(x)B(x) mod (xℓ − 1); if the product polynomial has degree less than ℓ, its coefficients are
not disturbed by this modulus. Algorithm 3 shows a cyclic convolution product using the Fast
Fourier Transform.
The implicit polynomial modulus in an FFT convolution can sometimes be used profitably,
but often a modulus other than xℓ −1 is desired. This is accomplished with a weighted transform.

1.1. Introduction

13

a0

a1

a2

a3

a4

a5

a6

a7

+/−

+/−

+/−

+/−

·ω80

·ω81

·ω82

·ω83

+/−

+/−

+/−

+/−

·ω40

·ω41

·ω40

·ω41

+/−

+/−

+/−

+/−

·ω20

·ω20

·ω20

·ω20

a4

a2

a6

a1

a5

a3

Cooley-Tukey

Gentleman-Sandea0

a7

Figure 1.1: Data flow in a length-8 FFT. Here, ωn denotes an n-th primitive root of unity. Readfrom top to bottom, the diagram shows the data flow of the Gentleman-Sande algorithm withai as input coefficients and ai as output. Read from bottom to top, it shows the data flow of theCooley-Tukey algorithm, with ai as input and ai as output.

The FFT input coefficients ai and bi are multiplied by weights wi , for 0 ≤ i < ℓ; after the pairwise multiplication and inverse FFT, the output coefficients ci are multiplied by w−i . In effect,
the FFT computes C(x) so that C(wx) = A(wx)B(wx) mod (xℓ − 1). With A(wx)B(wx) =xℓ wℓ C1 (wx) + C0 (wx), we have C(wx) = wℓ C1 (wx) + C0 (wx) and thus C(x) = wℓ C1 (x) + C0 (x),which causes the wrapped-around part to be multiplied by wℓ and corresponds to a multiplication
C(x) = A(x)B(x) mod (xℓ − wℓ ). To allow a particular polynomial modulus xℓ − r, the ring
R over which the FFT is performed must contain a w so that wℓ = r, i.e., a (not necessarily√
primitive) ℓ-th root of r. For example if a modulus of xℓ + 1 is desired, we require that w = ℓ −1,
which is a (2ℓ)-th root of unity (and necessarily primitive if ℓ is a power of 2), exists in R. In
this case the wrapped-around coefficients of xi , ℓ ≤ i < 2ℓ, are subtracted from the coefficientsof xi mod ℓ , which leads to a negacyclic convolution.
Unfortunately we cannot apply the FFT directly to the problem of multiplying integers (viapolynomials with integer coefficients) as the ring of integers Z does not offer any primitive rootsof unity of order greater than 2. In order to carry out the FFT, we must map the coefficients ofthe polynomials A(x) and B(x) to some other ring first which has a primitive root of unity oforder ℓ and the appropriate weight w if a weighted transform is desired, where ℓ is a unit, andwhere the coefficients ci of the product polynomial can be identified uniquely. This mapping iswhat distinguishes different FFT based integer multiplication algorithms.

Chapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

14

Input: Convolution length ℓ = 2k
Input coefficients a0,...,ℓ−1 , b0,...,ℓ−1 ∈ R, where R supports a length-ℓ FFT
Output: Coefficients c0,...,ℓ−1 ∈ R of cyclic convolution product of a and b
Data: t0,...,ℓ−1 , temporary storage/* Compute primitive ℓ-th root of unity in R√
ω := ℓ 1, 1 ∈ R;/* Copy a to c, compute forward FFT in-placec0,...,ℓ−1 := a0,...,ℓ−1 ;FFT_DIF(ℓ, c0,...,ℓ−1 , ω) ;/* Copy b to t, compute forward FFT in-placet0,...,ℓ−1 := b0,...,ℓ−1 ;FFT_DIF(ℓ, t0,...,ℓ−1 , ω) ;/* Compute pair-wise products
for i := 0 to ℓ − 1 do
ci := ci · ti ;/* Compute inverse FFT in-place
FFT_DIT(ℓ, c0,...,ℓ−1 , ω −1 );for i := 0 to ℓ − 1 do
ci := ci /ℓ;
Algorithm 3: Cyclic convolution product with the Fast Fourier Transform

1.2

*/
*/

*/

*/

*/

An Efficient Implementation of Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

Schönhage and Strassen [90] were the first to present practical algorithms for integer multiplication based on the FFT. They gave two possibilities for performing the convolution product via the1+ǫFFT: one over the complex numbers C which has complexity O N log(N ) log(log(N ))for any
positive ǫ and with input numbers of N bits, and one over a residue class ring R = Z/ (2n + 1) Zwith complexity O(N log(N ) log(log(N ))). Even though both methods were published in thesame paper and are both used in practice, “Schönhage-Strassen’s algorithm” usually refers only
to the latter.
Since Fourier transforms over C are ubiquitous in signal processing, data compression, andmany other fields of scientific computation, a wealth of publications on and countless implementations of the complex FFT exist. General-purpose complex FFT implementations (e.g., [42])can be readily used for large-integer multiplication, although specialized implementations forfast convolution products with purely real input offer further opportunities for optimization.
The field of complex FFTs and their efficient implementation is vast, and we do not explore it
here any further, but focus on convolution products using FFTs over the ring Z/(2n + 1)Z.

1.2.1

Overview

Schönhage-Strassen’s algorithm (SSA) reduces the multiplication of two input integers a and b toℓ multiplications in Rn = Z/ (2n + 1) Z, for suitably chosen ℓ and n. In order to achieve the statedcomplexity, these multiplications must be performed efficiently, and SSA calls itself recursively
for this purpose, until the numbers to be multiplied are small enough for simpler algorithms suchas the grammar-school, Karatsuba, or Toom-Cook methods. In order to facilitate this recursive
use of SSA, it is formulated to accept any two integers 0 ≤ a, b < 2N + 1 for a given N as input

1.2. An Efficient Implementation of Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

15

and compute the product ab mod (2N + 1). If the inputs are such that ab < 2N + 1, then this
SSA of course lets us compute the correct integer product ab, so we can use this algorithm (bychoosing N suitably) to perform integer multiplication. If the product of the inputs is known not
to exceed 2N + 1, optimizations are possible that allow performing the top-most recursion levelof SSA more efficiently, see 1.2.6. The multiplication modulo 2N + 1 is done with a negacyclic
convolution of length ℓ using an FFT over the ring Rn , so that arithmetic modulo 2N + 1 can be
performed via arithmetic modulo xℓ + 1, and the pair-wise products in Rn can use SSA again.
Thus SSA maps the computation of ab in N to the computation of ab mod (2N + 1) in RN ,maps this product in RN to a product of polynomials A(x)B(x) in Z[x]/(xℓ + 1), and maps
this convolution product to Rn [x]/(xℓ + 1) so that Rn supports a length-ℓ weighted FFT fora negacyclic convolution and allows lifting the coefficients of A(x)B(x) mod (xℓ + 1) uniquely.
Figure 1.2 shows the sequence of mappings.
Z =⇒ RN =⇒ Z[x] mod (xℓ + 1) =⇒ Rn [x] mod (xℓ + 1) =⇒ Rn
No, recursen smallenough?

Yes, multiply
Figure 1.2: Diagram of mappings in the Schönhage-Strassen algorithm.

1.2.2

Description of SSA

For given a, b whose product modulo 2N + 1, 4 | N , is sought, write N = ℓM where ℓ = 2k ,k ≥ 2, and choose an n so thatn = ℓm,(1.7)

n ≥ 2M + k.

√
The two conditions imply n > 2N . The choice of good values for N , ℓ, and n is of great
importance for the performance of SSA; how to select these is described in 1.2.7.
Let Rn = Z/(2n + 1)Z. Since 2n = (2m )ℓ ≡ −1 (mod 2n + 1), 2m is an (2ℓ)-th primitive rootof unity in Rn , so that it supports FFTs for cyclic convolutions of power-of-two length up to 2ℓ,
or weighted FFTs for negacyclic convolutions up to length ℓ.
From the input integers 0 ≤ a, b < 2N + 1 we form polynomials
A(x) =ℓ−1
Xi=0

ai xi ,

0 ≤ ai < 2M for 0 ≤ i < ℓ − 1(1.8)

0 ≤ aℓ−1 ≤ 2M ,that is, we cut a into ℓ pieces of M bits each, except the last piece may be equal to 2M . Doing
likewise for b, we have a = A(2M ) and b = B(2M ). To obtain the product c = ab mod (2N + 1),
we can use a negacyclic convolution to compute the product polynomial C(x) = A(x)B(x) mod(xℓ + 1) so that, when the polynomials are evaluated at x = 2M , the polynomial modulus xℓ + 1
ℓpreserves the residue class modulo 2N + 1 = 2M + 1 of the integer product.

Chapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

16Pi
The coefficients of the product polynomial C(x) = ℓ−1i=0 ci x can be lifted exactly from Rn
if ci mod (2n + 1) is unique for all possible values of each ci . Due to the negacyclic wrap-around,each ci can be defined byhighci = clowi − ci
with
clow
=
i

X

aj bi−j

0≤j≤i
high

ci

=

X

aj bi−j+ℓ ,i<j<ℓwhere all clow
and chighare non-negative and, applying the bounds from (1.8), satisfyiiclow< (i + 1)22M ,
0≤i<ℓ
i
high
< (ℓ − 1 − i)22M , 0 ≤ i < ℓ − 2
ci
2M .
chigh
ℓ−2 ≤ 2Thus, for all 0 ≤ i < ℓ,((i + 1) − ℓ)22M ≤ ci < (i + 1)22M ,so each ci is confined to an interval of length 22M ℓ and it suffices to choose 2n + 1 > 22M ℓ, orn ≥ 2M + k with ℓ = 2k . This minimal choice of n = 2M + k requires that the lifting algorithm
adjusts the range of each ci depending on i; if an algorithm is desired that works independentlyof i, we must choose n ≥ 2M + k + 1.
Hence the conditions on n given in (1.7) are sufficient to allow the computation of C(x) =A(x)B(x) mod xℓ + 1 with a negacyclic convolution by a weighted FFT over the ring Rn .
Given the coefficients of the product polynomial C(x), the integer c = C(2M ) mod (2N + 1) =ab mod (2N + 1) can be computed in the final carry propagation step. The ci may be negative or
greater than 2M − 1, so 0 ≤ C(2M ) < 2N + 1 does not necessarily hold and the carry propagationneeds to take the modulus 2N + 1 into account.
The SSA thus consists of five consecutive steps, shown below. In this example, the coefficientsci of the product polynomial overwrite the coefficients ai .
1. Decompose a and b and apply weights
Allocate memory for array a[i], 0 ≤ i < ℓ, with at least n + 1 bits of storage per array entry
Store in a[i] the i-th M -bit part of a
Apply weights by setting a[i] := wi · a[i] mod (2n + 1), w = 2n/ℓ
Do likewise for array b[]
2. Forward transform of a and b
Perform length-ℓ FFT in-place on array a[] working modulo 2n + 1, with root of unityω = 22n/ℓ
Do likewise for array b[]
3. Pair-wise multiply
Set a[i] := a[i] · b[i] mod (2n + 1) for 0 ≤ i < ℓ
4. Inverse transform
Perform length-ℓ inverse FFT in-place on array a[] working modulo 2n +1, including divisionby ℓ1.2. An Efficient Implementation of Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

17

5. Apply inverse weights, carry propagation
Un-apply weights bysetting a[i]:= w−i · a[i] mod (2n + 1), w = 2n/ℓPℓ−1
iM mod 2N + 1
Compute sum c =i=0 ai 2

Most of the ideas for the SSA presented so far were already present in the papers by Schönhage
and Strassen [90], or in follow-up papers by Schönhage [87]. We describe now several practicalimprovements that allow SSA to multiply very large integers rapidly on contemporary computers.
The implementation is based on the implementation of SSA in the GNU Multiple Precision
arithmetic library (GMP) [49], version 4.2.1.

1.2.3

Arithmetic Modulo 2n + 1 with GMP

Arithmetic operations modulo 2n + 1 have to be performed during the forward and inverse
transforms, the point-wise products, when applying the weight signal, and when unapplying it.
Thanks to the fact that the primitive roots of unity are powers of two, the only needed operations
outside the point-wise products are additions, subtractions, and multiplications by a power of
two which can be performed by bit-wise shifts on a binary computer. Since 22n ≡ 1 (mod 2n +1),
division by 2k can be reduced to multiplication by 22n−k . Reduction modulo 2n +1 is inexpensive
as well, since a1 2n + a0 ≡ a0 − a1 (mod 2n + 1), so the reduction again requires only a bit-wise
shift and a subtraction.
To simplify arithmetic modulo 2n + 1, we require n to be a multiple of β, the number of bits
per machine word. Since n must also be a multiple of ℓ = 2k , this usually is not an additional
constraint unless k < 5 on a 32-bit computer or k < 6 on a 64-bit computer, and SSA is typicallyused for numbers that are large enough so that the transform length is at least 64. Let m = n/βbe the number of computer words corresponding to an n-bit number. A residue mod 2n + 1 has
a semi-normalized representation with m full words and one carry of weight 2n :a = (am , am−1 , . . . , a0 ),with 0 ≤ ai < 2β for 0 ≤ i < m, and 0 ≤ am ≤ 1.
The addition of two such representations is done as follows (we give here the C code using
GMP functions):
c = a[m] + b[m] + mpn_add_n (r, a, b, m);r[m] = (r[0] < c);
MPN_DECR_U (r, m + 1, c - r[m]);The first line of this algorithm adds (am−1 , . . . , a0 ) and (bm−1 , . . . , b0 ), puts the low m wordsof the result in (rm−1 , . . . , r0 ), and adds the out carry to am + bm ; we thus have 0 ≤ c ≤ 3. The
second line yields rm = 0 if r0 ≥ c, in which case we simply subtract c from r0 at the third line.
Otherwise rm = 1, and we subtract c − 1 from r0 : a borrow may propagate, but at most to rm .
In all cases r = a + b mod (2n + 1), and r is semi-normalized.
The subtraction is done in a similar manner:c = a[m] - b[m] - mpn_sub_n (r, a, b, m);r[m] = (c == 1);
MPN_INCR_U (r, m + 1, r[m] - c);
After the first line, we have −2 ≤ c ≤ 1. If c = 1, then rm = 1 at the second line, and thethird line does nothing. Otherwise, rm = 0 at the second line, and we add −c to r0 , where thecarry may propagate up to rm . In all cases r = a − b mod (2n + 1), and r is semi-normalized.

18

Chapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

The multiplication by 2e is more tricky to implement. However this operation mainly appears
in the butterflies — see below — [a, t] ← [a + b, (a − b)2e ] of the forward and inverse transforms,
which may be performed as follows:
1. Write e = d · β + s with 0 ≤ s < β, where β is the number of bits per word
2. Decompose a = (a1 , a0 ), where a1 contains the upper d words
3. Idem for b
4. t := (a0 − b0 , b1 − a1 )5. a := a + b
6. t := t · 2s

Step 4 means that the most (m − d) significant words from t are formed with a0 − b0 , and theleast d significant words with b1 − a1 , where we assume that borrows are propagated, so that t
is semi-normalized. Thus the only real multiplication by a power of two is that of step 6, which
may be efficiently performed with GMP’s mpn_lshift routine.
If one has a combined mpn_addsub routine which simultaneously computes x + y and x − yfaster than separate mpn_add and mpn_sub calls, then step 5 can be written a := (b1 + a1 , a0 + b0 )which shows that t and a may be computed with two mpn_addsub calls.

1.2.4

Improved FFT Length Using√

2

Since all prime factors√of 2n + 1 are p ≡ 1 (mod 8) if 4 | n, 2 is a quadratic residue in Rn ,and it turns out that 2 is of a simple enough form to make it useful as a root of unity with2
power-of-two order. Specifically, ±23n/4 ∓ 2n/4 ≡ 2 (mod 2n + 1), which is easily checked by√expanding the square. Hence for a given n = 2k m, k ≥ 2, we can use, e.g., 2 = 23n/4 − 2n/4 as aroot of unity of order 2k+2 to double the possible transform
length. In the case of the negacyclic√
k+1 transform, andconvolution, this allows
alength22
isused only in the weight signal. For√
a cyclic convolution, 2 is used normally as a root of unity during the transform, allowing atransform length of 2k+2 . This idea is mentioned in [8, §9] where it is credited to Schönhage,
who later pointed out [88] that he was aware of this trick from the start, but published it only
“encoded” in [89, exercise 18].
√
Multiplication by an odd power of 2 involves two binary shifts and a subtraction which
requires more arithmetic than multiplication by a power of 2, but is still inexpensive enoughthat the smaller pair-wise products in √the convolution due to larger transform length lead to a
net gain. In our implementation, this 2 trick saved roughly 10% on the total time of integer
multiplication.
Unfortunately, using higher roots of unity for the transform is not feasible as prime divisors ofn
2 + 1 are not necessarily congruent to 1 (mod 2k+3 ). Deciding whether they are or not requires
case of the eighth Fermat number F8 = 2256 +1 [17],factoring 2n +1, and even if they are as in the√4
there does not seem to be a simple form for 2 which would make it useful as a root of unity inthe transform.

1.2.5

Improved Cache Locality

When multiplying large integers with SSA, the time spent in accessing data for performing theFourier transforms is non-negligible; especially since the operations performed on the data areso inexpensive, the relative cost of memory access is quite high. The literature is rich withpapers dealing with the organization of the computations in order to improve the data locality
and thus cache efficiency during an FFT. However, most of these papers are concerned with
contexts which are different from ours: usually the coefficients are small and most often they

1.2. An Efficient Implementation of Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

19

are complex floating-point numbers represented as a pair of double’s. Also there is a variety oftarget platforms, from embedded hardware implementations to super-scalar computers.
We have tried to apply several of these approaches in our context where the coefficients areintegers modulo 2n + 1 that each occupy at least a few cache lines and where the target platform
is a standard PC workstation.
In this work, we concentrate on multiplying large, but not huge integers. By this we meanthat we consider only 3 levels of memory for our data: level 1 cache, level 2 cache, and standard
RAM. In the future one might also want to consider the case where we have to use the hard disk
as a 4th level of storage.
Here are the orders of magnitude for these memories, to fix ideas: on a typical Opteron, acache line is 64 bytes; the L1 data cache is 64 KB; the L2 cache is 1 MB; the RAM is 8 GB. The
smallest coefficient size (i.e., n-bit residues) we consider is about 50 machine words, that is 400
bytes. For very large integers, a single coefficient barely fits into the L1 cache. For instance, in
our implementation, when multiplying two integers of 105, 000, 000 words each, a transform oflength 215 is used with coefficients of size 52 KB.
In an FFT computation, the main operation is the butterfly operation as described in equations (1.5) and (1.6). This is an operation in a ring Rn that, for a Gentleman-Sande FFT,
computes a + b and (a − b)ω, where a and b are coefficients in Rn and ω is some root of unity.
In SSA this root of unity is a power of 2.
The very first FFT algorithm is the iterative one. In our context this is a really bad idea.
The main advantage of it is that the data is accessed in a sequential way. In the case where thecoefficients are small enough so that several of them fit in a cache line, this saves many cache
misses. But in our case, contiguity is irrelevant due to the size of the coefficients compared tocache lines.
The next very classical FFT algorithm is the recursive one. In this algorithm, at a certain
level of recursion, we work on a small set of coefficients, so that they must fit in the cache. Thisversion (or a variant of it) was implemented in GMP up to version 4.2.1. This behaves well for
moderate sizes, but when multiplying large numbers, everything fits in the cache only at the tailof the recursion, so that most of the transform is already done when we are at last in the cache.
The problem is that before getting to the appropriate recursion level, the accesses are very cache
unfriendly.
In order to improve the locality for large transforms, we have tried three strategies found in
the literature: the Belgian approach, the radix-2k transform, and Bailey’s 4-step algorithm.
The Belgian transform
Brockmeyer et al. [18] propose a way of organizing the transform that reduces cache misses. In
order to explain it, let us first define a tree of butterflies as follows (we don’t mention the rootof unity for simplicity):
TreeBfy(A, index, depth, stride)
Bfy(A[index], A[index+stride])
if depth > 1
TreeBfy(A, index-stride/2, depth-1, stride/2)
TreeBfy(A, index+stride/2, depth-1, stride/2)

An example of a tree of depth 3 is given on the right of Figure 1.3. Now, the depth of
a butterfly tree is bounded by a value that is not the same for every tree. For instance, on
Figure 1.3, the butterfly tree that starts with the butterfly between a0 and a4 has depth 1: one

Chapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

20

a0
a1
a2
a3
a4
a5
a6
a7

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

a0
a4
a2
a6
a1
a5
a3
a7

Figure 1.3: The FFT circuit of length 8 and a butterfly tree of depth 3.
can not continue the tree on step 2. Similarly, the tree starting with the butterfly between a1 anda5 has depth 1, the tree starting between a2 and a6 has depth 2 and the tree starting between
a3 and a7 has depth 3. More generally, the depth can be computed by a simple formula.
One can check that by considering all the trees of butterflies starting with an operation at
step 1, we cover the complete FFT circuit. It remains to find the right ordering for computing
those trees of butterflies. For instance, in the example of Figure 1.3, it is important to do thetree that starts between a3 and a7 in the end, since it requires data from all the other trees.
One solution is to perform the trees of butterflies following the bitrev order. One obtains
the following algorithm, where ord_2 stands for the number of trailing zeros in the binary representation of an integer (together with the 4-line TreeBfy routine, this is a recursive descriptionof the 36-line routine from [18, Code 6.1]):
BelgianFFT(A, k)l = 2^{k-1}
for i := 0 to l-1
TreeBfy(A, bitrev(i, k-1), 1+ord_2(i+1), l)

Inside a tree of butterflies, we see that most of the time, the butterfly operation will involve a
coefficient that has been used just before, so that it should still be in the cache. Therefore an
approximate 50% cache-hit is provided by construction, and we can hope for more if the data is
not too large compared to the cache size.
We have implemented this in GMP, and this saved a few percent for large sizes, thus confirming the fact that this approach is better than the classical recursive transform.
Higher radix transforms
The principle of higher radix transforms is to use an atomic operation which groups several
butterflies. In Arndt’s book [3] the reader will find a description of several variants in this spirit.
The classical FFT can be viewed as a radix-2 transform. The next step is a radix-4 transform,
where the atomic operation has 4 inputs and 4 outputs (without counting roots of unity) andgroups 4 butterflies of 2 consecutive steps of the FFT.
We can then build a recursive algorithm upon this atomic operation. Of course, since weperform 2 radix-2 steps at a time, the number of levels in the recursion is reduced by a factor
of up to 2 from log2 (ℓ) to ⌈log4 (ℓ)⌉ (we have to handle the last recursion level by a radix-2transform if the number k of radix-2 FFT levels is odd).

1.2. An Efficient Implementation of Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

21

In the literature, the main interest for higher radix transforms comes from the fact that the
number of operations is reduced for a transform of complex numbers (this is done by exhibiting
a free multiplication by i). In our case, the number of operations remains the same. However,in the atomic block each input is used in two butterflies, so that the number of cache misses isless than 50%, just as for the Belgian approach. Furthermore, with the recursive structure, just
as for the classical recursive FFT, at some point we deal with a number of inputs which is smallenough so that everything fits in the cache.
We have tested this approach, and this was faster than the Belgian transform by a few
percent.
The next step after radix-4 is radix-8 which works in the same spirit, but grouping 3 levels
at a time. We have also implemented it, but this saved nothing, and was even sometimes slower
than the radix-4 approach. Our explanation is that for small numbers, a radix of 4 is close to
optimal with respect to cache locality, and for large numbers, the number of coefficients that fit
in the cache is rather small and we have misses inside the atomic block of 12 butterflies.
More generally, radix-2t groups t levels together, with a total of t2t−1 butterflies, over 2t
residues. If all those residues fit in the cache, the cache miss rate is less than 1/t. Thus the
optimal strategy seems to choose for t the largest integer such that 2t n bits fit in the cache(either L1 or L2, whichever is the fastest cache where a single radix-2 butterfly fits).
Bailey’s 4-step algorithm
The algorithm we describe here can be found in a paper by Bailey [4]. In it, the reader will findearlier references tracing back the original idea, which was in fact already mentioned in [47]. For
simplicity we stick to the “Bailey’s algorithm” denomination.√
A way of seeing Bailey’s 4-step algorithm is as a radix- ℓ transform, where ℓ = 2k is thelength of the input sequence. In other words, instead of grouping 2 steps as in radix-4, we groupk/2 steps. To be more general, let us write k = k1 + k2 , where k1 and k2 are to be thought
as close to k/2, but this is not really necessary. Then Bailey’s 4-step algorithm consists in thefollowing phases:
1. Perform 2k2 transforms of length 2k1 ;2. Multiply the data by weights;
3. Perform 2k1 transforms of length 2k2 .
There are only three phases in this description. The fourth phase is usually some matrix transposition2 , but this is irrelevant in our case: the coefficients are large so that we keep a table ofpointers to them, and this transposition is just pointer exchanges which are basically for free,
and fit very well in the cache.
The second step involving weights is due to the fact that in the usual description of Bailey’s
4-step algorithm, the transforms of length 2k1 are exactly Fourier transforms, whereas the needed
operation is a twisted Fourier transform where the roots of unity involved in the butterflies aredifferent (since they involve a (2k )-th root of unity, whereas the classical transform of length 2k1
involves a (2k1 )-th root of unity). In the classical FFT setting this is very interesting, since we
can then reuse some small-dimension implementation that has been very well optimized. In our
Indeed, Bailey’s algorithm might be viewed as a two-dimensional transform of a matrix with 2k1 rows and2 columns, where Phase 1 performs 2k2 one-dimensional transforms on the columns, and Phase 3 performs 2k1
one-dimensional transforms on the rows.
2

k2

22

Chapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

case, we have found it better to write separate code for this twisted FFT, so that we merge thefirst and second phases.
The interest of this way of organizing the computation is again not due to a reduction of
the number of operations, since they are exactly the same as with the√ other FFT approaches
mentioned above. The goal is to help locality. Indeed, assume that ℓ coefficients fit in thecache, then the number of√ cache misses is at most 2ℓ, since each call to the internal FFT or
twisted FFT operates on ℓ coefficients.
√
Of course we are interested in numbers for which ℓ coefficients do not fit in the L1 cache, but
for all numbers we might want to multiply, they do fit in the L2 cache. Therefore the structureof the code follows the memory hierarchy: at the top level of Bailey’s algorithm, we deal with
the RAM vs L2 cache locality question, then in each internal FFT or twisted FFT, we can takecare of the L2 vs L1 cache locality question. This is done by using the radix-4 variant inside our
Bailey-algorithm implementation.
We have implemented this approach (with a threshold for activating Bailey’s algorithm only
for large sizes), and combined with radix-4, this gave us our√ best timings. We have also tried ahigher dimensional transform, in particular 3 steps of size 3 ℓ. This did not help for the sizes weconsidered.
Mixing several phases
Another way to improve locality is to mix different phases of the algorithm in order to do as muchwork as possible on the data while they are in the cache. An easy improvement in this spirit
is to mix the pointwise multiplication and the inverse transform, in particular when Bailey’salgorithm is used. Indeed, after the two forward transforms have been computed, one can load
the data corresponding to the first column, do the pointwise multiplication of its elements, andreadily perform the small transform of this column. Then the data corresponding to the second
column is loaded, multiplied and transformed, and so on. In this way, one saves one full passon the data. Taking the idea one step further, assuming that the forward transform for the first
input number has been done already (or that we are squaring one number), after performing
the column-wise forward transform on the second number we can immediately do the point-wise
multiply and the inverse transform on the column, so saving another pass over memory.
Following this idea, we can also merge the “decompose” and “recompose” steps with thetransforms, again to save a pass on the data. In the case of the “decompose” step, there is more
to it since one can also save unnecessary copies by merging it with the first step of the forward
transform.
The “decompose” step consists of cutting parts of M bits from the input numbers, thenmultiplying each part ai by wi modulo 2n + 1, giving a′i . If one closely looks at the first FFTlevel, it will perform a butterfly between a′i and a′i+ℓ/2 with w2i as multiplier. This will computea′i + a′i+ℓ/2 and a′i − a′i+ℓ/2 , and multiply the latter by w2i . It can be seen that the M non-zero
bits from a′i and a′i+ℓ/2 do not overlap, thus no real addition or subtraction is required: theresults a′i + a′i+ℓ/2 and a′i − a′i+ℓ/2 can be obtained with just copies and ones’ complements. As aconsequence, it should be possible to completely avoid the “decompose” step and the first FFTlevel, by directly starting from the second FFT level, which for instance will add a′i + a′i+ℓ/2 to(a′j − a′j+ℓ/2 )w2j ; here the four operands a′i , a′i+ℓ/2 , a′j , a′j+ℓ/2 will be directly taken from the input
integer a, and the implicit multiplier w2j will be used to know where to add or subtract a′j anda′j+ℓ/2 . This example illustrates the kind of savings obtained by avoiding trivial operations likecopies and ones’ complements, and furthermore improving the locality. This idea was not used

1.2. An Efficient Implementation of Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

23in the results in §1.3.

1.2.6

Multiplication without Reduction Modulo 2N + 1

The reason why SSA uses a negacyclic convolution is that it allows the algorithm to be usedrecursively: the “pair-wise products” modulo 2n + 1 can in turn be performed using the same′algorithm, each one giving rise to ℓ′ smaller pair-wise products modulo 2n + 1 (where n′ must
be divisible by ℓ′ ). A drawback of this approach is that it requires a weighted transform, i.e.,
additional operations before the forward transforms and after the inverse transform, and an(2ℓ)-th root of unity for the weights which halves the possible transform length for a given n.
The negacyclic transform is needed only to facilitate a modulus of xℓ + 1 in the polynomial
multiplication which is compatible with the modulus of 2N + 1 of the integer multiplication. But
at the top-most recursion level, we choose N so that the integer product c = ab is not affected byany modulo reduction, and no particular modulus for the integer and hence for the polynomial
multiplication needs to be enforced.
Therefore one can replace RN = Z/(2N + 1)Z by Z/(2N − 1)Z in the top-most recursion
level of SSA, and replace the negacyclic by a simple cyclic convolution (without any weights inthe transform), to compute an integer product mod 2N − 1, provided that c = ab < 2N − 1.
We call this a “Mersenne transform,” whereas the original SSA performs a “Fermat transform” 3 .
This idea of using a Mersenne transform is already mentioned by Bernstein [8] where it is called“cyclic Schönhage-Strassen trick”.
Despite the fact that it can be used at the top level only, the Mersenne transform is nevertheless very interesting for the following reasons:• a Mersenne transform modulo 2N − 1, combined with a Fermat transform modulo 2N + 1 andCRT reconstruction, can be used to compute a product of 2N bits;• as mentioned, a Mersenne transform can use a larger FFT length ℓ = 2k than the corresponding
Fermat transform. While ℓ must divide N for the Fermat transform so that the weight w = 2N/ℓis a power of two, it only needs to divide 2N for the Mersennetransform so that ω = 22N/ℓ is√
one to use a value of ℓa power of two. This improves the efficiency for ℓ near N , and enables√
closer to optimal. (The FFT length can be doubled again by using 2 as a root of unity in thetransform as described in §1.2.4.)
The above idea can be generalized to a Fermat transform mod 2aN + 1 and a Mersennetransform mod 2bN − 1 for small integers a, b.
Lemma 1. Let a, b be two positive integers. Then at least one of gcd(2a + 1, 2b − 1) andgcd(2a − 1, 2b + 1) is 1.
Proof. Both gcds are obviously odd. Let g = gcd(a, b), r = 2g , a′ = a/g, b′ = b/g. Denoteby ordp (r) the multiplicative order of r (mod p) for an odd prime p. In the case of b′ odd, p |′′rb − 1 ⇒ ordp (r) | b′ ⇒ 2 ∤ ordp (r), and p | ra + 1 ⇒ ordp (r) | 2a′ and ordp (r) ∤ a′ ⇒ 2 | ordp (r),′′hence no prime can divide both rb − 1 and ra + 1. In the other case of b′ even, a′ must be odd,
and the same argument holds with the roles of a′ an b′ exchanged, so no prime can divide both′′ra − 1 and rb + 1.
It follows from Lemma 1 that for two positive integers a and b, either 2aN + 1 and 2bN − 1
are coprime, or 2aN − 1 and 2bN + 1 are coprime, thus we can use one Fermat transform of sizeaN (respectively bN ) and one Mersenne transform of size bN (respectively aN ). However this
3Here, a “Fermat transform” is meant modulo 2N + 1, without N being necessarily a power of two as in Fermat
numbers.

Chapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

24

does not imply that the reconstruction is easy: in practice we used b = 1 and made only a vary(see §1.2.7).

1.2.7

Parameter Selection and Automatic Tuning

2n/ℓ is a primitive ℓ-th root of unity, and w = 2n/ℓ
SSA takes for n a multiple of ℓ, so that√√ ω=2
is used for the weight signal (or,√if 2 is used as described in 1.2.4, ω = 2n/ℓ and w = ( 2)n/ℓ .
The following omits the use of 2 for simplicity). As shown in 1.2.3, this ensures that all FFT
butterflies involve only additions/subtractions and shifts on a radix 2 computer. In practice one
may additionally require n to be a multiple of the machine word size β to simplify arithmetic
modulo 2n + 1.
For a given size N divisible by ℓ = 2k , we define the efficiency of the FFT-ℓ scheme:

2N/ℓ + k,nwhere n is the smallest multiple of ℓ larger than or equal to 2N/ℓ + k. For example for N =1, 000, 448 and ℓ = 210 , we have 2N/ℓ + k = 1964, and the next multiple of ℓ is n = 2ℓ = 2048,
therefore the efficiency is 1964
2048 ≈ 96%. For N = 1, 044, 480 with the same value of ℓ, we have
2N/ℓ + k = 2050, and the next multiple of ℓ is n = 3ℓ = 3072, with an efficiency of about 67%.
The FFT scheme is close to optimal when its efficiency is near 100%.
Note that a scheme with efficiency below 50% does not need to be considered. Indeed, thismeans that 2N/ℓ + k ≤ 21 n, which necessarily implies that n = ℓ (as n has to be divisibleby ℓ). Then the FFT scheme of length ℓ/2 can be performed with the same value of n, since2(N/(ℓ/2)) + (k − 1) < 4N/ℓ + 2k ≤ n, and n is a multiple of ℓ/2.
From this last remark, we can assume 2N/ℓ ≥ 21 n — neglecting the small k term —, which
together with n ≥ ℓ gives:√(1.9)ℓ ≤ 2 N.
It should be noted that choosing n minimal according
to the conditions ℓ ≥ 2N/ℓ + k and√ℓ | 2n (e.g., for a Fermat transform with use of 2) is not always optimal. At the j + 1-st
recursive level of a length-ℓ FFT, we multiply by powers of an ℓ/2j -th root of unity, i.e., byj
2i2 2n/ℓ for successive i, by performing suitable bit-shifts. When 2j 2n/ℓ is a multiple of the word
size, no actual bit-shifts are performed any more, since the shift can be done by word-by-word
copies. On system where bit-shifting is much more expensive than mere word-copying, e.g., if
no well-optimized multiple precision shift code is available, it can be advantageous to choose nlarger to make 2n/ℓ divisible by a small power of 2. This way the number of FFT levels that
perform bit-shifts is reduced. In our code, for transform lengths below the threshold for Bailey’salgorithm
and n that are small enough not to use SSA recursively, we ensure ℓ | n (even when√
2 is used and ℓ | 2n would suffice for a Fermat transform). If the resulting n satisfies n/l ≡ 3(mod 4), we round up some more to make 4l | n. The comparative timings of length 128 (k = 7)
and length 256 (k = 8) can be seen in figure 1.4
Automatic Tuning
We found that significant speedups could be obtained with better tuning schemes, which we
describe here. All examples given in this section are related to an Opteron.

1.2. An Efficient Implementation of Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm
22
k=7, n not rounded up
k=7, n rounded up

k=8, n not rounded up
k=8, n rounded up

1.5

1.5

1

1

0.5

0.5

0
1000

25

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

0
1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

Figure 1.4: Time in milliseconds for a length 128 (k = 7) and length 256 (k = 8) FFT, for input
sizes of 1000 to 5000 words, with and without rounding up n to avoid bit-shifts
Tuning the Fermat and Mersenne Transforms
Until version 4.2.1, GMP used a naive tuning scheme for the FFT multiplication. For the Fermat
transforms modulo 2N + 1, an FFT of length 2k was used for tk ≤ N < tk+1 , where tk is thesmallest bit-size for which FFT-2k is faster than FFT-2k−1 . For example on an Opteron, thedefault gmp-mparam.h file uses k = 4 for a size less than 528 machine words, then k = 5 for lessthan 1184 words, and so on:#define MUL_FFT_TABLE { 528, 1184, 2880, 5376, 11264, 36864, 114688, 327680, 1310720,
3145728, 12582912, 0 }A special rule is used for the last entry: here k = 14 is used for less than m = 12582912 words,
k = 15 is used for less than 4m = 50331648 words, and then k = 16 is used. An additional single
threshold determines from which size upward — still in words — a Fermat transform mod 2n + 1
is faster than a full product of two n-bit integers:#define MUL_FFT_MODF_THRESHOLD

544

For a product mod 2n +1 of at least 544 words, GMP 4.2.1 therefore uses a Fermat transform,
with k = 5 until 1183 words according to the above MUL_FFT_TABLE. Below the 544 words
threshold, the algorithm used is the 3-way Toom-Cook algorithm, followed by a reduction mod
2n + 1.
This scheme is not optimal since the FFT-2k curves intersect several times, as shown by
Figure 1.5.
To take into account those multiple crossings, the new tuning scheme determines wordintervals [m1 , m2 ] where the FFT of length 2k is preferred for Fermat transforms:#define MUL_FFT_TABLE2 {{1, 4 /*66*/}, {401, 5 /*96*/}, {417, 4 /*98*/},{433, 5 /*96*/}, {865, 6 /*96*/}, ...

The entry {433, 5 /*96*/} means that from 433 words — and up to the next size of 865
words — FFT-25 is preferred, with an efficiency of 96%. A similar table is used for Mersennetransforms.

Chapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

26

0.9
mpn_mul_fft.5
mpn_mul_fft.6
0.8
mpn_mul_fft.7
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
500
1000

0.2
0.19

mpn_mul_fft.5
mpn_mul_fft.6

0.18
0.17
0.16
0.15
0.14
1500

2000

2500

700

0.13

750

800

850

900

Figure 1.5: Time in milliseconds needed to multiply numbers modulo 2n + 1 with an FFT oflength 2k for k = 5, 6, 7. On the right, the zoom (with only k = 5, 6) illustrates that two curves
can intersect several times.
Tuning the Plain Integer Multiplication
Up to GMP 4.2.1, a single threshold controls the plain integer multiplication:#define MUL_FFT_THRESHOLD

7680

This means that SSA is used for a product of two integers of at least 7680 words, whichcorresponds to about 148, 000 decimal digits, and the Toom-Cook 3-way algorithm is used belowthat threshold.
We now use the generalized Fermat-Mersenne scheme described in 1.2.6 with b = 1 (in our
implementation we found 1 ≤ a ≤ 7 was enough). Again, for each size, the best value of a isdetermined by our tuning program:#define MUL_FFT_FULL_TABLE2 {{16, 1}, {4224, 2}, {4416, 6}, {4480, 2},{4608, 4}, {4640, 2}, ...

For example, the entry {4608, 4} means that to multiply two numbers of 4608 words each— or whose product has 2 × 4608 words — and up to numbers of of 4639 words each, the newalgorithm uses one Mersenne transform modulo 2N −1 and one Fermat transform modulo 24N +1.
Reconstruction is easy since 2aN + 1 ≡ 2 mod (2N − 1).

1.3

Results

On July 1st, 2005, Allan Steel wrote a web page [93] entitled “Magma V2.12-1 is up to 2.3 times
faster than GMP 4.1.4 for large integer multiplication,” which was a motivation for working on
improving GMP’s implementation and we compare our results to Magma’s timings. We have also
tested other freely available packages providing an implementation for large integer arithmetic.
Among them, some (OpenSSL/BN, LiDiA/libI) do not go beyond Karatsuba algorithm, some dohave some kind of FFT, but are not really made for really large integers: arprec, Miracl. Twouseful implementations we have tested are apfloat and CLN. They take about 4 to 5 seconds
on our test machine to multiply one million-word integers, whereas we need about 1 second.
Bernstein mentions some partial implementation Zmult of Schönhage-Strassen’s algorithm, with

1.3. Results

27
80
70
60

GMP 4.1.4
Magma V2.13-6
GMP 4.2.1
new GMP code

50
40
30
20
10
0
2.5e6

5e6

7.5e6

1e7

1.25e7

1.5e7

Figure 1.6: Comparison of GMP 4.1.4, GMP 4.2.1, Magma V2.13-6 and our new code for theplain integer multiplication on a 2.4GHz Opteron (horizontal axis in 64-bit words, vertical axis
in seconds).
good timings, but right now, only very few sizes are handled, so that the comparison with oursoftware is not really possible.
A program that implements a complex floating-point FFT for integer multiplication is George
Woltman’s Prime95. It is written mainly for the purpose of performing the Lucas-Lehmer algorithm for testing large Mersenne numbers 2p − 1 for primality in the Great Internet Mersenne
Prime Search [102], and since its inception has found 10 new such primes, each one a new record
at the time of its discovery. It uses a DWT for multiplication mod a2n ± c, with a and c not toolarge, see [79]. We compared multiplication modulo 22wn − 1 in Prime95 version 24.14.2 withmultiplication of n-word integers using our SSA implementation on a Pentium 4 at 3.2 GHz,and on an Opteron 250 at 2.4 GHz, see Figure 1.7. It is plain that on a Pentium 4, Prime95
beats our implementation by a wide margin, in fact usually by more than a factor of 10. On
the Opteron, the difference is a bit less pronounced, where it is by a factor between 2.5 and 3.
The reasons for this architecture dependency of the relative performance is that Prime95 uses
an SSE2 implementation of floating point FFT, which performs slightly better on the Pentium 4
than on the Opteron at a given clock rate, but more importantly that all-integer arithmetic as
in SSA performs poorly on the Pentium 4, but excellently on the Opteron, due to both native
64 bit arithmetic and a very efficient integer ALU. Some other differences between Prime95 andour implementation need to be pointed out in this context: due to the floating point nature ofPrime95’s FFT, rounding errors can build up for particular input data to the point where the result will be incorrectly rounded to integers. While occurring with only low probability, this trait
may be undesirable in scientific computation. In particular, the specification of GMP requires acorrect multiplication algorithm for all input values, and when the first version of an FFT multiplication for GMP was written around 1998, it was not known how to choose parameters for
a complex floating-point FFT so that correct rounding could be guaranteed in the convolution
product. Therefore the preference was given to an all-integer algorithm such as SchönhageStrassens where the problem of rounding errors does not occur. As it turns out, multiplication
with the floating point FFT can be made provably correct, see again [79], but at the cost of usingChapter 1. Integer Multiplication with Schönhage-Strassen’s Algorithm

28larger FFT lengths, thus giving up some performance. Figure 1.8 shows the maximum numberof bits that can be stored per FFT element of type double so that provably correct rounding ispossible. Prime95’s default choice uses between 1.3 and 2 times as many, so for multiplicationof large integers, demanding provably correct rounding would about double the run time. Also,
the DWT in Prime95 needs to be initialized for a given modulus, and this initialization incurs
overhead which becomes very costly if numbers of constantly varying sizes are to be multiplied.
Finally, the implementation of the FFT in Prime95 is done entirely in hand-optimized assembly
for the x86 family of processors, and will not run on other architectures.
Another implementation of complex floating point FFT is Guillermo Ballester Valor’s Glucas.
The algorithm it uses is similar to that in Prime95, but it is written portably in C. This makes
it slower than Prime95, but still faster than our code on both the Pentium 4 and the Opteron,as shown in Figure 1.7.
1.6

1.4

SSA on P4
SSA on Core 2
SSA on Opteron
Glucas on Opteron
Prime95 on Opteron
Glucas on P4
Prime95 on P4

1.2

1

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
2e5

4e5

6e5

8e5

1e6

Figure 1.7: Time in seconds for multiplication of different word lengths with our implementation,
Prime95 and Glucas on a 3.2 GHz Pentium 4, a 2.4 GHz Core 2, and a 2.4 GHz Opteron.
K = 2k 212
214
216
218
220
221
223 225
bits/dbl 16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
N
3.27e5 1.22e5 4.58e5 1.7e6 6.29e6 1.15e7 4.1e7 1.5e8
Prime95 21.37 21.08 20.78 20.49 20.22 19.94 18.29 17.76

Figure 1.8: Number of bits which can be stored in an IEEE 754 double-precision floating point
number for provably correct multiplication of integers of bit-size N with an FFT of length K,
and number of bits used in Prime95 for FFT length K.
∗
Fürer [43] proposed an integer multiplication algorithm with complexity O n log(n)2log (n) ,where log∗ (n) is the minimum number of logarithms one needs to stack, starting from n, to geta result of at most 1. It is therefore asymptotically faster than Schönhage-Strassen’s algorithmwith complexity O(n log(n) log(log(n))), although the difference of the two asymptotic functions
is small for n in the range of interest. We are not aware of a well-optimized implementation ofFürer algorithm, so no comparison of their speed in practice is possible at the moment.

Chapter 2

An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring
Algorithms
2.1

Introduction

This chapter is joint work with Peter Lawrence Montgomery and was published in [73].
It extends the work of [74], a fast stage 2 for the P–1 algorithm based on polynomial multipoint evaluation where the points of evaluation lie in a geometric progression. The previous
paper mentioned several ideas how the method could be improved by using patterns in the rootsof the polynomial to build it more quickly, using symmetry in the resulting polynomial to reduce
storage space and speed up polynomial arithmetic, and to adapt the method to the P+1 factoringalgorithm.
These ideas are implemented in the current work, making efficient use of today’s computerswith large memory and multi-processing capability. Several large factors were found with the
new implementation, including a 60-digit factor of the Lucas number L2366 by the P+1 method
which still (at the end of 2009) stands as the record for this method. Some large factors were
found with the P–1 method, listed in Section 2.13, but sadly no new record was set in spite ofour best efforts.

2.2

The P–1 Algorithm

In 1974 John Pollard [80, §4] introduced the P–1 algorithm for factoring an odd composite
integer N . It hopes that some prime factor p of N has smooth p − 1. An integer is B-smooth if
it has no prime factors exceeding B. It picks b0 6≡ ±1 (mod N ) and coprime to N and outputs
b1 = be0 mod N for some positive exponent e. This exponent might be divisible by all prime
powers below a bound B1 . Stage 1 succeeds if (p − 1) | e, in which case b1 ≡ 1 (mod p) byFermat’s little theorem. The algorithm recovers p by computing gcd(b1 − 1, N ) (except in rarecases when this gcd is composite). When this gcd is 1, we hope that p − 1 = qn where n divides
e and q is not too large. Thennq e/nbq1 ≡ (be0 )q = beq=
0 = (b0 )



bp−1
0

e/n

≡ 1e/n = 1(mod p),(2.1)

so p divides gcd(bq1 − 1, N ). Stage 2 of P–1 tries to find p when q > 1 but q does not exceed thestage 2 search bound B2 .
29

30

Chapter 2. An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms

Pollard tests each prime q in ]B1 , B2 ] individually. If qn and qn+1 are successive primes, heq−qlooks up b1n+1 n mod N in a small table. It is conjectured that qn+1 − qn < log(qn+1 )2 , related
to Cramér’s conjecture which states
lim supn→∞qn+1 − qn= 1.
log(qn )2

The prime gap that follows qn = 1693182318746371 has length 1132, giving the largest quotient(qn+1 − qn )/ log(qn+1 )2 = 0.92 . . . currently known. This prime is greater than any that will
be used in way of Pollard’s stage 2, so in practice the size of the table can be bounded bylog(B2 )2 /2, as only even differences need to be stored if B1 > 2. Given bq1n mod N , we can form
q
−q
−q
q
q
b1n+1 mod N = bq1n b1n+1 n mod N with b1n+1 n mod N taken from the precomputed table, and
qn+1
test gcd(b1− 1, N ). Pollard observes that one can combine gcd tests: if p | gcd(x, N ) or p |gcd(y, N ), then p | gcd(xy mod N, N ). His stage 2 cost is two modularmultiplications
per q: one

qn
qn
2
to compute b1 and one to multiply b1 −1 to an accumulator A; plus O log(B2 ) multiplications
to build the table and taking gcd(A, N ) at the end, but these cost are asymptotically negligible.
Montgomery [65] uses two sets S1 and S2 , such that each prime q in ]B1 , B2 ] divides anonzero difference s1 − s2 where s1 ∈ S1 and s2 ∈ S2 . He forms bs11 − bs12 using two tablelook-ups, saving one modular multiplication per q. Sometimes one s1 − s2 works for multiple q.
Montgomery adapts his scheme to Hugh Williams’s P+1 method and Hendrik Lenstra’s Elliptic
Curve Method (ECM). These changes lower the constant of proportionality, but stage 2 still usesO(π(B2 ) − π(B1 )) operations modulo N .
The end of Pollard’s original P–1 paper [80] suggests an FFT continuation to P–1. Montgomery and Silverman [74, p. 844] implement it, using√ a circular convolution to evaluate apolynomial along a geometric progression.
√  It costs O B2 log(B2 ) operations to build andmultiply two polynomials of degree O B2 , compared to O(B2 / log(B2 )) primes below B2 , so
the FFT stage 2 beats Pollard’s original stage 2 and Montgomery’s variant from [65] when B2 islarge.
Montgomery’s dissertation [67] describes an FFT continuation to ECM. He takes either the
gcd of two polynomials, or uses a general multipoint evaluation method for polynomials with
arbitrary points of evaluation. These cost an extra factor of log(B2 ) compared to when the points
are along a geometric progression. Zimmermann [103] implements these FFT continuations to
ECM and uses them for the P±1 methods as well.

2.2.1

New Stage 2 Algorithm

Like in [74], in this chapter we evaluate a polynomial along geometric progressions. We exploit
patterns in its roots to generate its coefficients quickly. We aim for low memory overhead, saving
it for convolution inputs and outputs (which are elements of Z/N Z). Using memory efficiently
lets us raise the convolution length ℓ. Many intermediate results are reciprocal polynomials,
which need about half the storage and can be multiplied efficiently using weighted convolutions.
Doubling ℓ costs slightly over twice as much time per convolution, but each longer convolution
extends the search for q (and effective B2 ) fourfold. Silverman’s 1989 implementation used 42
megabytes and allowed 250-digit inputs. It repeatedly evaluated a polynomial of degree 15360
at 8 · 17408 points in geometric progression, using ℓ = 32768. This enabled him to achieve
B2 ≈ 1010 .
Today’s (2008) PC memories are 100 or more times as large as those used in [74]. With
this extra memory, we achieve ℓ = 223 or more, a growth factor of 256. With the same number

2.3. The P+1 Algorithm31

of convolutions (individually longer lengths but running on faster hardware) our B2 advancesby a factor of 2562 ≈ 6.6 · 104 . We make use of multi-processor systems by parallel executionof the convolution products. Supercomputers with many CPUs and huge shared memories do
spectacularly.
Most techniques herein adapt to P+1, but some computations take place in an extension
ring, raising memory usage if we use the same convolution sizes.
Section 2.13 gives some new results, including a record 60-digit P+1 factor.
The new algorithm to build a polynomial from its roots and the algorithm to evaluate thatpolynomial on points along a geometric progression make use of the ring structure of Z/N Z for
P–1, or a quadratic extension thereof for P+1. This ring structure is not present in elliptic curves
used for ECM, so these techniques do not apply to it. The method of choosing sets S1 and S2
as in Section 2.6 to determine the roots and evaluation points for the polynomial can be used
for ECM, however, together with general algorithms of building a polynomial from its roots andevaluating it on an arbitrary set of points, like those described in [67] or [103].

2.3

The P+1 Algorithm

Hugh Williams [101] introduced a P+1 factoring algorithm in 1982. It finds a prime factor p of
N when p + 1 (rather than p − 1) is smooth. It is modeled after P–1.
One variant of the P+1 algorithm chooses P0 ∈ Z/N Z and lets the indeterminate α0 be azero of the quadratic f (x) = x2 − P0 x + 1. The product of the two roots of this quadratic isthe constant coefficient 1, hence they are α0 and α0−1 , and their sum is P0 . We hope that thisquadratic is irreducible modulo the unknown factor p, i.e., that the discriminant ∆ = P02 − 4 isa quadratic non-residue modulo p. If so, α0 lies in Fp2 /Fp , i.e., has degree 2. By the Frobenius
endomorphism, α0p 6= α0 is the second root in Fp2 . Hence α0 α1 ≡ α0 α0p = α0p+1 ≡ 1 (mod p) andthe order of α0 divides p + 1.
On the other hand, if P02 −4 is a quadratic residue modulo p, then α0 lies in Fp and α0p = α0 , sothat α0p−1 = 1 and the order of α0 divides p − 1. In this case, the P+1 algorithm behaves like the
P–1 algorithm. Since whether α0 has order dividing p−1 or p+1 depends on the unknown primep (and can vary for different prime factors p of one composite number), it generally is impossible
to tell which order results from a particular choice P0 , unless, say, the resulting determinant isa rational square or known to be a quadratic residue modulo all candidate prime factors of the
input number. Williams suggests testing three different values for P0 to reach a confidence of
87.5% that an element of order dividing p + 1 has been tried for a given prime factor p.
Stage 1 of the P+1 algorithm computes P1 = α1 + α1−1 where α1 ≡ α0e (mod N ) for some
exponent e, starting from P0 = α0 + α0−1 and using Chebyshev polynomials to simplify thecomputation. If ord(α0 ) | e, regardless of whether ord(α0 ) | p − 1 or ord(α0 ) | p + 1, thenP1 ≡ α0e + α0−e ≡ 1 + 1 ≡ 2 (mod N ) and gcd(P1 − 2, N ) > 1; if this gcd is also less than N , thealgorithm succeeds. Stage 2 of P+1 hopes that α1q ≡ 1 (mod p) for some prime q, not too large,
and some prime p dividing N .

2.3.1

Chebyshev Polynomials

Although the theory behind P+1 mentions α0 and α1 = α0e , an implementation manipulates
primarily values of α0n + α0−n and α1n + α1−n for various integers n rather than the corresponding
values (in an extension ring) of α0n and α1n .

Chapter 2. An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms

32

For integer n, the Chebyshev polynomials Vn of degree n and Un of degree n−1 are determinedby Vn (X + X −1 ) = X n + X −n and (X − X −1 )Un (X + X −1 ) = X n − X −n . The use of thesepolynomials shortens many formulas, such as
P1 ≡ α1 + α1−1 ≡ α0e + α0−e = Ve (α0 + α0−1 ) = Ve (P0 )(mod N ).

These polynomials have integer coefficients, so P1 ≡ Ve (P0 ) (mod N ) is in the base ring Z/N Z
even when α0 and α1 are not.
The Chebyshev polynomials satisfy many identities, including
Vmn (X) = Vm (Vn (X)),
Um+n (X) = Um (X) Vn (X) − Um−n (X),

(2.2)

Vm+n (X) = Vm (X) Vn (X) − Vm−n (X),

(2.3)

Um+n (X) = Vm (X) Un (X) + Um−n (X),2

Vm+n (X) = (X − 4) Um (X) Un (X) + Vm−n (X).
For given integers n and P0 , the value of the Chebyshev polynomial Vn (P0 ) can be evaluatedby the methods of Montgomery [66].

2.4

Overview of Stage 2 Algorithm

Our algorithm performs multipoint evaluation of polynomials by convolutions. Its inputs are theoutput of stage 1 (b1 for P–1 or P1 for P+1), and the desired stage 2 interval ]B1 , B2 ].
The algorithm chooses a highly composite odd integer P . It checks for q in arithmetic
progressions with common difference 2P . There are φ(P ) such progressions to check whengcd(q, 2P ) = 1.
We need an even convolution length ℓmax (determined primarily by memory constraints)
and a factorization φ(P ) = s1 s2 where s1 is even and 0 < s1 < ℓmax . Sections 2.6, 2.10.1 and2.12 have sample values.
Our polynomial evaluations will need approximately


B2
φ(P )
B2
≈
(2.4)
s2
2P (ℓmax − s1 )2P s1 (ℓmax − s1 )convolutions of length ℓmax . We prefer a small φ(P )/P to keep (2.4) low. We also prefer s1
near ℓmax /2, say 0.3 ≤ s1 /ℓmax ≤ 0.7.
Using a factorization of (Z/P Z)∗ as described in Section 2.6, we construct two sets S1 andS2 of integers such that(a) |S1 | = s1 and |S2 | = s2 .
(b) S1 is symmetric around 0: if k ∈ S1 , then −k ∈ S1 .
(c) If k ∈ Z and gcd(k, P ) = 1, then there exist unique k1 ∈ S1 and k2 ∈ S2 such thatk ≡ k1 + k2 (mod P ).
Once S1 and S2 are chosen, for the P–1 method we compute the coefficients ofY
1
f (X) = X −s1 /2(X − b2k
1 ) mod N
k1 ∈S1(2.5)

2.5. Justification

33

by the method in Section 2.8. Since S1 is symmetric around zero, this f (X) is symmetric in X
and 1/X.
For each k2 ∈ S2 we evaluate (the numerators of) all
2k +(2m+1)Pf (b1 2) mod N

(2.6)

for ℓmax − s1 consecutive values of m as described in Section 2.9, and check the product of these
outputs for a nontrivial gcd with N . This checks s1 (ℓmax − s1 ) candidates, not necessarily prime
but including all primes in ]B1 , B2 ], hoping to find q.
For the P+1 method, replace b1 by α1 in (2.5) and (2.6). The polynomial f is still over
Z/N Z since each product (X − α12k1 )(X − α1−2k1 ) = X 2 − V2k1 (P1 ) + 1 is in (Z/N Z)[X], but themultipoint evaluation works in an extension ring. See Section 2.9.1.

2.5

Justification

Let p be an unknown prime factor of N . As in (2.1), assume bq1 ≡ 1 (mod p) where q is not toolarge, and gcd(q, 2P ) = 1.
The selection of S1 and S2 ensures there exist k1 ∈ S1 and k2 ∈ S2 such that (q − P )/2 ≡k1 + k2 (mod P ). That is,
q = P + 2k1 + 2k2 + 2mP = 2k1 + 2k2 + (2m + 1)P(2.7)

for some integer m. We can bound m knowing bounds on q, k1 , k2 , detailed in Section 2.6. Both1
are roots of f (mod p) since S1 is symmetric around 0 and by (2.5). Henceb±2k
12k +(2m+1)Pf (b1 2

1
1
) = f (bq−2k) ≡ f (b−2k)≡011(mod p).

(2.8)
2k +(2m+1)P=
For the P+1 method, if α1q ≡ 1 (mod p), then (2.8) evaluates f at X = α1 2
α1q−2k1 . The factor X − α1−2k1 of f (X) evaluates to α−2k1 (α1q − 1), which is zero modulo p evenin the extension ring.

2.6

Selection of S1 and S2

Let “+” of two sets denote the set of sums. By the Chinese Remainder Theorem,(Z/(mn)Z)∗ = n(Z/mZ)∗ + m(Z/nZ)∗ if gcd(m, n) = 1.

(2.9)

This is independent of the representatives: if S ≡ (Z/mZ)∗ (mod m) and T ≡ (Z/nZ)∗ (mod n),then nS + mT ≡ (Z/(mn)Z)∗ (mod mn). For prime powers, we have (Z/pk Z)∗ = (Z/pZ)∗ +P
k−1 i
i=1 p (Z/pZ).
We choose S1 and S2 such that S1 + S2 ≡ (Z/P Z)∗ (mod P ) which ensures that all values
coprime to P , in particular all primes, in the stage 2 interval are covered. One way uses afactorization mn = P and (2.9). Other choices are available by factoring individual (Z/pZ)∗ ,p | P , into smaller sets of sums.
Let Rn = {2i − n − 1 : 1 ≤ i ≤ n} be an arithmetic progression centered at 0 of length nand common difference 2. For odd primes p, a set of representatives of (Z/pZ)∗ is Rp−1 . Its
cardinality is composite for p 6= 3 and the set can be factored into arithmetic progressions ofprime length by
Rmn = Rm + mRn .
(2.10)

Chapter 2. An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms

34

1
If p ≡ 3 (mod 4), alternatively p+1
4 R2 + 2 R(p−1)/2 can be chosen as a set of representatives withsmaller absolute values. For example, for p = 7 we may use {−2, 2} + {−1, 0, 1}.
Example. For P = 3 · 5 · 7 = 105, we could use(Z/105Z)∗ = 35(Z/3Z)∗ + 21(Z/5Z)∗ + 15(Z/7Z)∗by (2.9) and choose
S1 + S2 = 35{−1, 1} + 21{−3, −1, 1, 3} + 15{−5, −3, −1, 1, 3, 5}.
However, we can use (2.10) to write{−3, −1, 1, 3} = 2{−1, 1} + {−1, 1}

and{−5, −3, −1, 1, 3, 5} = 3{−1, 1} + {−2, 0, 2}.
Now we can choose S1 + S2 = 35{−1, 1} + 42{−1, 1} + 21{−1, 1} + 45{−1, 1} + 15{−2, 0, 2}, andlet for example S1 = 35{−1, 1} + 42{−1, 1} + 21{−1, 1} + 45{−1, 1} and S2 = 15{−2, 0, 2} tomake s1 = |S1 | = 16 (close to) a power of 2 and s2 = |S2 | small.
When evaluating (2.6) for all m1 ≤ m < m2 and k2 ∈ S2 , the highest exponent coprime toP that is not covered at the low end of the stage 2 range will be 2 max(S1 + S2 ) + (2m1 − 1)P .
Similarly, the smallest value at the high end of the stage 2 range not covered is 2 min(S1 + S2 ) +(2m2 + 1)P . Hence, for a given choice of P , S1 , S2 , m1 and m2 , all primes in [(2m1 − 1)P +2 max(S1 + S2 ) + 1, (2m2 + 1)P + 2 min(S1 + S2 ) − 1] are covered.
Example. To cover the interval [1000, 500000] with ℓmax = 512, we might choose P = 1155,
s1 = 240, s2 = 2, m1 = −1, and m2 = ℓmax − s1 + m1 = 271. With S1 = 231({−1, 1} +{−2, 2}) + 165({−2, 2} + {−1, 0, 1}) + 105({−3, 3} + {−2, −1, 0, 1, 2}) and S2 = 385{−1, 1}, wehave max(S1 + S2 ) = − min(S1 + S2 ) = 2098 and thus cover all primes in [−3 · 1155 + 4196 +1, 543 · 1155 − 4196 − 1] = [732, 622968].
For choosing a value of P which covers a desired ]B1 , B2 ] interval, we can test candidate
P from a table. This table could contain values so that P and φ(P ) are increasing, and each
P is maximal for its φ(P ). We can select those P which, in order, cover the desired ]B1 , B2 ]interval with ℓmax (limited by memory), minimize the cost of stage 2 and maximize (2m2 +1)P + 2 min(S1 + S2 ). The table of P values may contain a large number of candidate values
so that a near-optimal choice can be found for various ℓmax and B2 parameters. To speed up
selection of the optimal value of P , some restrictions on which P to test are desirable.
Assume S1 and S2 are symmetric around 0, so that M = max(S1 + S2 ) = − min(S1 + S2 ).
Then the effective start of the stage 2 interval is 2M + (2m1 − 1)P + 1, the effective end is−2M + (2m2 + 1)P − 1, and their difference −4M + 2P (m2 − m1 + 1) − 2. Hence we requireB2 − B1 ≤ 2(m2 − m1 + 1)P . Since m2 − m1 + 1 ≤ ℓmax , this implies B2 − B1 ≤ 2ℓmax P or
P ≥ (B2 − B1 )/(2ℓmax ), which together with an upper bound on ℓmax by available memory
provides a lower bound on P .
The cost of stage 2 is essentially that of initialising the multi-point evaluation once per stage
2 by building the reciprocal Laurent polynomials f (x) and h(x) (see Section 2.9) and computing
the discrete Fourier transform of h(x), and that of performing the multi-point evaluation s2
times per stage 2 by computing the polynomial g(x), its product with h(x) and the gcd of
the coefficients of the product polynomial and N . The cost of polynomial multiplication is inO(ℓmax log(ℓmax )), but for the sake of parameter selection can be approximated by just ℓmax
— good parameters will use an ℓmax close to the largest possible, and for small changes of ℓmax
(say, by up to a factor of 2), the effect of the log(ℓmax ) term is small. The cost of building the2.7. Cyclic Convolutions and Polynomial Multiplication with the NTT

35

polynomial f (x) is proportional to the cost of polynomial multiplication so that we may take thecost of initialisation and of evaluation to be proportional with a positive real constant c. Hencethe cost of stage 2 can be approximated roughly but usefully as (c + s2 )ℓmax . Since ℓmax > s1
and s1 s2 = φ(P ), we have (c + s2 )ℓmax > φ(P ) for any valid choice of stage 2 parameters, sothat once a set of acceptable parameters has been found, its cost can serve as an upper boundon φ(P ) when looking for better parameters. Since the entries in the table of P values are inorder of increasing P and φ(P ), the bound on φ(P ) implies a bound on P .
For a given candidate P value within these bounds and for possible transform lengths ℓmax
for the multi-point evaluation, choose s1 and s2 so that s1 s2 = φ(P ), s1 is even, s1 < ℓmax , s2
is minimal and under these conditions, |ℓmax /2 − s1 | is minimal. For positive integers n < 1010 ,the number of divisors of n does not exceed 4032 (attained for the highly composite number
97772875200) so that even exhaustive search of s1 values from the prime factorization of φ(P ) issufficiently fast. If the multiplication routine for reciprocal Laurent polynomials (such as the one
in Section 2.7.2) rounds up transform lengths to a power of 2, it is preferable to choose s1 slightly
below rather than slightly above a power of 2, so that having to round up transforms lengths
by almost a factor of 2 is avoided when building f as described in Section 2.8. The resulting
choice of P , ℓmax , s1 , and s2 is acceptable if the resulting m1 and m2 values allow covering thedesired stage 2 interval ]B1 , B2 ]. Each such choice has an associated cost, and the acceptablechoice with the smallest cost wins. If several have the same cost, we use the one with the largest
effective B2 .

2.7

Cyclic Convolutions and Polynomial Multiplication with theNTT

Most of the CPU time in this algorithm is spent performing multiplication of polynomials withcoefficients modulo N , the number to be factored. The Karatsuba (see Section 1.1.1) and ToomCook (see Section 1.1.2) algorithms could work directly over R = Z/N Z, so long as the interpolation phase does not involve division by a zero divisor of the ring, and since N is assumed not
to have very small prime factors, this is not a problem in practice. However, the FFT stage 2
gains its speed by fast arithmetic on polynomials of very large degree, in which case FFT based
multiplication algorithms (see Section 1.1.3) far exceed Karatsuba’s or Toom-Cook’s methods.
Unfortunately, the FFT for a large transform length ℓ cannot be used directly when R =Z/N Z, since we don’t know a suitable ℓ-th primitive root of unity. Instead, we need to map
coefficients of the polynomials to be multiplied to Z first, then to a ring that supports an FFTof the desired length, back to Z and to Z/N Z again by reducing modulo N .
The Schönhage-Strassen algorithm
described in Chapter 1 uses the ring R = Z/(2n + 1)Z√with ℓ | 2n (or ℓ | 4n if the 2 trick is used) and the ℓ-th root of unity 22n/ℓ ∈ R. It could
be used for our purpose, but the condition ℓ | 2n often makes it impracticable: most frequently
we want to factor input number of not too great size, say less than a few thousands bits, but
use polynomials of degrees in the millions. For the Schönhage-Strassen algorithm, in that case
we’d have to choose n in the millions also, too large by about three orders of magnitude. This
would make the multiplication unacceptably slow and memory use prohibitive. The problem
can be alleviated by the Kronecker-Schönhage segmentation trick, which reduces polynomial
multiplication to integer multiplication, see [99] or [103, p. 534] and Section 2.12. However
for larger numbers N and polynomials of smaller degree, say in the ten-thousands, using SSA
directly is a viable option.
A very attractive approach to the problem of multiplying polynomials with relatively small

Chapter 2. An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms

36

coefficients and very large degree is the use of a number theoretic transform (NTT), describedin the following.
Nussbaumer [77] gives other convolution algorithms.

2.7.1

Convolutions over Z/N Z with the NTT

Montgomery and Silverman [74, Section 4] suggest a number theoretic transform (NTT). They
treat the input polynomial coefficients as integers in [0, N − 1] and multiply the polynomials over2
Z. The product polynomial, reduced modulo X ℓ − 1, has coefficients
Qin [0, ℓ(N − 1)2 ]. Selectdistinct NTT primes pj that each fit into one machine word such that j pj > ℓ(N −1) . Require
each pj ≡ 1 (mod ℓ), so a primitive ℓ-th root of unity exists. Do the convolution modulo eachpj and use the Chinese Remainder Theorem (CRT) to determine the product over Z modulo
X ℓ − 1. Reduce this product modulo N . Montgomery’s dissertation [67, Chapter 8] describes
these computations in detail.
The convolution codes need interfaces to (1) zero a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) buffer,(2) insert an entry modulo N in a DFT buffer, reducing it modulo the NTT primes, (3) perform
a forward, in-place, DFT on a buffer, (4) multiply two DFT buffers point-wise, overwriting an
input, and perform an in-place inverse DFT on the product, and (5) extract a product coefficientmodulo N via a CRT computation and reduction modulo N .

2.7.2

Reciprocal Laurent Polynomials and Weighted NTT

Define a reciprocal Laurent polynomial (RLP) in x to be an expansion
a0 +

d
X

j

aj x + x

−j

j=1



= a0 +dX

aj Vj x + x−1

j=1

for scalars aj in a ring. It is monic if ad = 1. It is said to have degree 2d if ad 6= 0. The degree
is always even. A monic RLP of degree 2d fits in d coefficients (excluding the leading 1). While
manipulating RLPs of degree at most 2d, the standard basis is {1} ∪ {xj + x−j : 1 ≤ j ≤ d} ={1} ∪ {Vj x + x−1 : 1 ≤ j ≤ d}.

Pdq
Let Q(x) = q0 + j=1
qj xj + x−j be an RLP of degree at most 2dq and likewise R(x)P san RLP of degree at most 2dr . To obtain the product RLP S(x) = s0 + dj=1
sj xj + x−j =Q(x)R(x) of degree at most 2ds = 2(dq + dr ), choose a convolution length ℓ > ds and perform
a weighted
 convolution product (as in Section 1.1.3) by computing S̃(wx) = Q(wx)R(wx) modℓx − 1 for a suitable weight w 6= 0.
Pjℓ
Suppose S̃(x) = ℓ−1
j=0 s̃x and S̃(wx) = S(wx) mod x − 1 . We haveS̃(wx) = s0 +ds Xwj sj xj + w−j sj xℓ−j

j=1

=

ds
X

j

j

w sj x +

j=0

=

ℓ−d
s −1
X
j=0

ℓ−1
X



wj−ℓ sℓ−j xj

j=ℓ−dsjj

w sj x +dsX

j=ℓ−ds

w

j



−ℓ



j

sj + w sℓ−j x +ℓ−1
X

j=ds +1

wj−ℓ sℓ−j xj2.7. Cyclic Convolutions and Polynomial Multiplication with the NTT37

and so s̃j = sj for 0 ≤ j < ℓ − ds , and s̃j = sj + w−ℓ sl−j for ℓ − ds ≤ j ≤ ds . From the latter,
we can solve for sj and sl−j by the linear system


1
w−ℓ
−ℓ
w
1



sj
sℓ−j



=



s̃j
s̃ℓ−j



.

When the matrix is invertible, i.e., wℓ 6= ±1, there is a unique solution which can be computed
by
sj
sl−j

w−l s̃j − s̃ℓ−jw−2ℓ − 1= s̃ℓ−j − w−ℓ sj .

=This leads to Algorithm 4. It flows like the interface in Section 2.7.1.
Our implementation chooses the NTT primes pj ≡ 1 (mod 3ℓ). We require 3 ∤ ℓ. Our
w is a primitive cube root of unity. Multiplications by 1 are omitted. When 3 ∤ i, we use
wji qi + wj−i qi ≡ −qi (mod pj ) to save a multiply.
Substituting x = eiθ where i2 = −1 gives



dq
dr
X
X
Q(eiθ )R(eiθ ) = q0 + 2
rj cos(jθ) .
qj cos(jθ) r0 + 2
j=1

j=1

These cosine series can be multiplied using discrete cosine transforms, in approximately the same
auxiliary space needed by the weighted convolutions. We did not implement that approach.

2.7.3

Multiplying General Polynomials by RLPs

In Section 2.9 we will construct an RLP h(x) which will later be multiplied by various g(x).
The length-ℓ DFT of h(x) evaluates h(ω i ) for 0 ≤ i < ℓ, where ω is an ℓ-th primitive root ofunity. However since h(x) is reciprocal, h(ω i ) = h(ω ℓ−i ) and the DFT has only ℓ/2 + 1 distinct
coefficients. In signal processing, the DFT of a signal extended symmetrically around the centerof each endpoint is called a Discrete Cosine Transform of type I. Using a DCT–I algorithm [6],we could compute the coefficients h(ω i ) for 0 ≤ i ≤ ℓ/2 with a length ℓ/2 + 1 transform. We
have not implemented this.
Instead we compute the full DFT of the RLP (using xℓ = 1 to avoid negative exponents). To
conserve memory, we store only the ℓ/2 + 1 possibly distinct DFT output coefficients for lateruse.
In the scrambled output of a decimation-in-frequency FFT of length ℓ = 2r , the possibly
distinct DFT coefficients h(ω i ) for 0 ≤ i ≤ ℓ/2 are stored at even indices and at index 1. When
we multiply h(x) and one g(x) via the FFT, each h(ω i ) for 0 < 2i < ℓ must be multiplied totwo coefficients of the FFT output of g(x), which again will be in scrambled order. Rather thanun-scrambling the transform coefficients for the point-wise multiplication, the correct index pairs
to use can be computed directly.
For 0 < 2i < ℓ, the FFT coefficients of h(x) stored at index 2i and index mi − 2i, wheremi = 2⌊log2 (i)⌋+3 − 2⌊log2 (i)⌋+1 − 1, correspond to h(ω bitrevr (2i) ) and h(ω ℓ−bitrevr (2i) ) and thus areequal. For the point-wise product with the scrambled FFT output of one g(x), we can multiply
the FFT coefficients of g(x) stored at index 2i and mi − 2i by the FFT coefficient of h that wasstored at index 2i.

38

Chapter 2. An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms

Procedure MUL_RLP (s0...dq +dr , dq , q0...dq , dr , r0...dr )Pdq
Input: RLP Q(x) = q0 + j=1
qj xj + x−j of degree at most 2dq
P r
RLP R(x) = r0 + dj=1
rj xj + x−j of degree at most 2dr
Convolution length ℓ > dq + dr
CRT primes p1 , . . . , pk Ps
Output: RLP S(x) = s0 + dj=1
sj xj + x−j = Q(x)R(x) of degree at most
2ds = 2dq + 2dr(Output may overlap input)
Data: NTT arrays M and M ′ , each with ℓ elements per pj for auxiliary storage(A squaring uses only M )Zero M and M ′for 1 ≤ j ≤ k do
Choose wj with wjℓ 6≡ 0, ±1 (mod pj ) ;Mj,0 := q0 mod pj ;′ := r mod p ;Mj,00j
for 1 ≤ i ≤ dq (in any order) do
for 1 ≤ j ≤ k do/* Store Q(wx) mod pj in Mj */i
Mj,i := wj qi mod pj ;Mj,ℓ−i := wj−i qi mod pj ;if Q(x) 6= R(x) thenfor 1 ≤ i ≤ dr (in any order) do
for 1 ≤ j ≤ k do/* Store R(wx) mod pj in Mj′ */′ := w i r mod p ;
Mj,i
j
j i
′
:= wj−i ri mod pj ;Mj,ℓ−ifor 1 ≤ j ≤ k do/* Forward transform of Q(wx) mod pj */NTT_DIF(Mj,0...ℓ−1 , ℓ, pj );if Q(x) 6= R(x) then′, ℓ, pj );/* Forward transform of R(wx) mod pj */NTT_DIF(Mj,0...ℓ−1′/* Point-wise product */Mj,0...ℓ−1 := Mj,0...ℓ−1 · Mj,0...ℓ−1 mod pj ;else
Mj,0...ℓ−1 := (Mj,0...ℓ−1 )2 mod pj ;/* Point-wise squaring */INTT_DIT(Mj,0...ℓ−1 , ℓ, pj );/* Inverse transform */for 1 ≤ i ≤ ℓ − ds − 1 do/* Un-weighting */Mj,i := wj−i Mj,i (mod pj );for ℓ − ds ≤ i ≤ ⌊ℓ/2⌋ dot := (w−l Mj − Mℓ−j )/(w−2ℓ − 1);
Ml−j := Mℓ−j − w−ℓ t;
Mj := t;for 0 ≤ i ≤ ds do
si := CRT(M1...j,i , p1...k ) modN
Algorithm 4: NTT-Based Multiplication Algorithm for reciprocal Laurent polynomials.

2.8. Computing Coefficients of f

2.7.4

39

Multiplying RLPs without NTT

If no suitable transform-based multiplication algorithm is available for the weighted convolutionof Section 2.7.2, RLPs can be multiplied with a regular polynomial multiplication routine, alP df
though less efficiently. Given an RLP f (x) = f0 + i=1
fi (xi + x−i ) of degree at most 2df inP
dfstandard basis, we can write a polynomial f˜(x) = f0 /2 + i=1
fi xi of degree at most df so that˜˜
f (x) = f (x) + f (1/x).
Likewise for g(x) and g̃(x).
d˜fLet rev f (x) = x f˜(1/x) denote the polynomial with reversed sequence of coefficients. Wehave rev rev f˜(x) = f˜(x) and rev f˜(x)g̃(x) = rev f˜(x) rev g̃(x) . Let ⌊f (x)⌋ denote thepolynomial whose coefficients at non-negative exponents of x are equal to those in f (x), andwhose coefficients at negative exponents of x are 0. We have ⌊f (x) + g(x)⌋ = ⌊f (x)⌋ + ⌊g(x)⌋.
Now we can compute the productf (x)g(x)= (f˜(x) + f˜(1/x))(g̃(x) + g̃(1/x))= f˜(x)g̃(x) + f˜(x)g̃(1/x) + f˜(1/x)g̃(x) + f˜(1/x)g̃(1/x)
= f˜(x)g̃(x) + x−dg f˜(x)rev g̃(x) + x−df rev f˜(x)rev(g̃(x)) + f˜(1/x)g̃(1/x),

but we want to store only the coefficients at non-negative exponents in the product, so⌊f (x)g(x)⌋ = f˜(x)g̃(x) + ⌊x−dg f˜(x)rev g̃(x) ⌋ + ⌊x−df rev f˜(x)rev(g̃(x)) ⌋ + f˜0 g̃0produces a polynomial whose coefficients in monomial basis are equal to those of the RLP
f (x)g(x) in standard basis. This computation uses two multiplications of polynomials of degrees
at most df and dg , respectively, whereas the algorithm in Section 2.7.2 has cost essentiallyequivalent to one such multiplication.

2.8

Computing Coefficients of f

Assume the P+1 algorithm. The monic RLP f (X) in (2.5), with roots α12k where k ∈ S1 , canbe constructed using the decomposition of S1 . The coefficients of f will always be in the basering since P1 ∈ Z/N Z.
For the P–1 algorithm, set α1 = b1 and P1 = b1 + b−1
1 . The rest of the construction of f for
P–1 is identical to that for P+1.
Assume S1 and S2 are built as in Section 2.6, say S1 = T1 + T2 + · · · + Tm where each Tj has
an arithmetic progressionof prime length, centered at zero. At least one of these has cardinality
Q
2 since s1 = |S1 | = j |Tj | is even. Renumber the Tj so |T1 | = 2 and |T2 | ≥ |T3 | ≥ · · · ≥ |Tm |.

If T1 = {−k1 , k1 }, then initialize F1 (X) = X + X −1 − α12k1 − α1−2k1 = X + X −1 − V2k1 (P1 ),a monic RLP in X of degree 2.
Suppose 1 ≤ j < m. Given the coefficients of the monic RLP Fj (X) with roots α12k1 fork1 ∈ T1 + · · · + Tj , we want to construct
Fj+1 (X) =YFj (α12k2 X).

(2.11)

k2 ∈Tj+1

The set Tj+1 is assumed to be an arithmetic progression of prime length t = |Tj+1 | centeredat zero with common difference k, say Tj+1 = {(−1 − t)k/2 + ik : 1 ≤ i ≤ t}. If t is even, k isChapter 2. An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms

40

even to ensure integer elements. On the right of (2.11), group pairs ±k2 when k2 6= 0. We need
the coefficients of(Fj (α1−k X) Fj (α1kX),
 if t = 2
Q(t−1)/2(2.12)
Fj+1 (X) =−2ki
2ki
Fj (X) i=1
Fj (α1 X) Fj (α1 X) , if t is odd.

Let d = deg(Fj ), an even number. The monic input Fj has d/2 coefficients in Z/N Z (plus theleading 1). The output Fj+1 will have td/2 = deg(Fj+1 )/2 such coefficients.
Products such as Fj (α12ki X) Fj (α1−2ki X) can be formed by the method in Section 2.8.1, using
d coefficients to store each product. The interface can pass α12ki + α1−2ki = V2ki (P1 ) ∈ Z/N Z asa parameter instead of α1±2ki .
For odd t, the algorithm in Section 2.8.1 forms (t − 1)/2 such monic products each with doutput coefficients. We still need to multiply by the input Fj . Overall we store (d/2) + t−1
2 d =td/2 coefficients. Later these (t + 1)/2 monic RLPs can be multiplied in pairs, with products
overwriting the inputs, until Fj+1 (with td/2 coefficients plus the leading 1) is ready.
All polynomial products needed for (2.11), including those in Section 2.8.1, have output
degree at most t deg(Fj ) = deg(Fj+1 ), which divides the final deg(Fm ) = s1 . The polynomial
coefficients are saved in the (MZNZ) buffer of 2.10. The (MDFT) buffer allows convolution
length ℓmax /2, which is adequate when an RLP product has degree up to 2(ℓmax /2) − 1 ≥ s1 .
A smaller length might be better for a particular product.

2.8.1

Scaling by a Power and Its Inverse

Pd/2
Let F (X) be a monic RLP of even degree d, say F (X) = c0 + i=1 ci (X i + X −i ), where eachci ∈ Z/N Z and cd/2 = 1. Given Q ∈ Z/N Z, where Q = γ + γ −1 for some unknown γ, wewant the d coefficients (excluding the leading 1) of F (γX) F (γ −1 X) mod N in place of the d/2
such coefficients of F . We are allowed a few scalar temporaries and any storage internal to thepolynomial multiplier.
Denote Y = X + X −1 . Rewrite, while pretending to know γ,
F (γX) = c0 +d/2X

ci (γ i X i + γ −i X −i )i=1

= c0 +


d/2
X
ci
i=1

2

i

−i

i

−i

i

−i

i

−i

(γ + γ )(X + X ) + (γ − γ )(X − X )





d/2
X
ci
−1
−1
Vi (Q)Vi (Y ) + (γ − γ )Ui (Q)(X − X )Ui (Y ) .
= c0 +
2
i=1

Replace γ by γ −1 and multiply to get

F (γX) F (γ −1 X) = G2 − (γ − γ −1 )2 (X − X −1 )2 H 2= G2 − (Q2 − 4)(X − X −1 )2 H 2 ,where
G = c0 +

d/2
X
i=1

d/2

H =

X
i=1

ci

ci

Vi (Q)Vi (Y )
2

Ui (Q)Ui (Y ).
2

(2.13)

2.9. Multipoint Polynomial Evaluation

41

This G is a (not necessarily monic) RLP of degree at most d in the standard basis {1} ∪{Vj (Y ) : 1 ≤ j ≤ d/2}, with coefficients in Z/N Z. This H is another RLP, of degree at mostd − 2, but using the basis {Ui (Y ) : 1 ≤ i ≤ d/2}. Starting with the coefficient of Ud/2 (Y ), we
can repeatedly use Uj+1 (Y ) = Vj (Y )U1 (Y ) + Uj−1 (Y ) = Vj (Y ) + Uj−1 (Y ) for j > 0, along with
U1 (Y ) = 1 and U0 (Y ) = 0, to convert H to standard basis. This conversion costs O(d) additions
in Z/N Z.
Use the identities Vi+1 (Q) = QVi (Q) − Vi−1 (Q) and Ui+1 (Q) = QUi (Q) − Ui−1 (Q) from (2.3)
and (2.2) to evaluate Vi (Q)/2 and Ui (Q)/2 for consecutive i when computing the d/2 + 1 coefficients of G and the d/2 coefficients of H. If a weighted NTT-based algorithm such as Algorithm 4
is used for multiplying RLPs and a memory model as in Section 2.10, the algorithm can write
the NTT images of the standard-basis coefficients of G and H to different parts of (MDFT) andrecover the coefficients of G2 and H 2 via the CRT and combine them directly into the coefficients of F (γx)F (γ −1 x) to avoid allocating temporary storage for G and H. Algorithm 5 showsa simplified implementation with temporary storage.

2.9

Multipoint Polynomial Evaluation

We have constructed f = Fm in (2.5). The monic RLP f (X) has degree s1 , say f (X) =Ps1 /2
Ps1 /2f0 + j=1
fj · (X j + X −j ) = j=−s
fj X j where fj = f−j ∈ Z/N Z.
1 /2

Assuming the P–1 method (otherwise see Section 2.9.1), compute r = bP1 ∈ Z/N Z. Setℓ = ℓmax and M = ℓ − 1 − s1 /2.
2k +(2m+1)P

Equation (2.6) needs gcd(f (X), N ) where X = b1 2
, for several consecutive m, say
2k2 +(2m1 +1)P
m1 ≤ m < m2 . By setting x0 = b1
, the arguments to f become x0 b2mP
= x0 r2m for1
0 ≤ m < m2 − m1 . The points of evaluation form a geometric progression with ratio r2 . We canevaluate these for 0 ≤ m < ℓ − 1 − s1 with one convolution of length ℓ and O(ℓ) setup cost [1,exercise 8.27].
2
To be precise, set hj = r−j fj for −s1 /2 ≤ j ≤ s1 /2. Then hj = h−j . Set h(X) =Ps1 /2jj=−s1 /2 hj X , an RLP. The construction of h does not reference x0 — we reuse h as x0 varies.
P
2i
Let gi = x0M −i r(M −i) for 0 ≤ i ≤ ℓ − 1 and g(X) = ℓ−1
i=0 gi X .
All nonzero coefficients in g(X)h(X) have exponents from 0 − s1 /2 to (ℓ − 1) + s1 /2. Suppose0 ≤ m ≤ ℓ − 1 − s1 . Then M − m − ℓ = −1 − s1 /2 − m < −s1 /2 whereas M − m + ℓ =(ℓ − 1 + s1 /2) + (ℓ − s1 − m) > ℓ − 1 + s1 /2. The coefficient of X M −m in g(X)h(X), reduced
modulo X ℓ − 1, is
s1 /2

X

0≤i≤ℓ−1−s1 /2≤j≤s1 /2
i+j≡M −m (mod ℓ)g i hj==j=−s1 /2

g i hj =0≤i≤ℓ−1−s1 /2≤j≤s1 /2
i+j=M −m

X

2
2
xm+j
r(m+j) r−j fj =
0

X

m
xm
0 r

j=−s1 /2
2

gM −m−j hj

j=−s1 /2

s1 /2

s1 /2

X

X

2

x0 r2mj2

m
f (x0 r2m ).
f j = xm
0 r

m factors are harmless.
Since we want only gcd(f (x0 r2m ), N ), the xm
0 r
We can compute successive gℓ−i with two ring multiplications each as the ratios gℓ−1−i /gℓ−i =x0 r2i−s1 −1 form a geometric progression.

42

Chapter 2. An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms
Pd/2
Input: RLP F (x) = f0 + i=1 fi (xi + x−i ), fi ∈ Z/N Z
Q ∈ Z/N Z
Output: Coefficients of F (γx)F (γ −1 x) in standard basis {1} ∪ {xi + x−i : 1 ≤ i ≤ d},where γ + γ −1 = Q, overwriting f0...d
Data: Storage for v, u, gi , hi ∈ Z/N Z, for 0 ≤ i < dv := 1;u := Q/2;
g0 = f0 ;for i := 1 to d/2 do
gi = fi u;(u, v) := (uQ − v, u);
Pd/2/* Now G = g0 + i=1 gi Vi x + x−1
MUL_RLP (g(0,...,d) , g(0,...,d/2) , d/2, g(0,...,d/2) , d/2);
P/* Now G2 = g0 + di=1 gi Vi x + x−1/* V0 (Q)/2 = 1 *//* V1 (Q)/2 = Q/2 *//* u := Vi+1 (Q)/2, v := Vi (Q)/2 */*//* Use Algorithm 4 */*/v := 0;/* v := U0 (Q)/2 = 0 */u := 1/2;/* u := U1 (Q)/2 = 1/2 */for i := 1 to d/2 do /* store hi shifted by 1 to simplify change to Vi basis */hi−1 := fi u;(u, v) := (uQ − v, u);/* u := Ui+1 (Q)/2, v := Ui (Q)/2 */

Pd/2
−1
*/
/* Now H = i=1 hi−1 Ui x + x
for i := d/2 downto 3 do/* convert hi from Ui to Vi basis */hi−3 := hi−3 + hi−1 ;
Pd/2−1*//* Now H = h0 + i=1 hi Vi x + x−1 , i.e., in standard basis
MUL_RLP (h(0,...,d−2) , h(0,...,d/2−1) , d/2 − 1, h(0,...,d/2−1) , d/2 − 1); /* Use Algorithm 4 */
P
−1/* Now H 2 = h0 + d−2*/
i=1 hi Vi x + x
for i := 0 to d − 2 do
hi := hi Q2 − 4 ;


P
−1
*/
/* Now Q2 − 4 H 2 = h0 + d−2
i=1 hi Vi x + x
2 2
 2
2
−1
Q −4 H*//* Compute G + x − x
if d = 2 theng0 := g0 + 2h0 ;g2 := g2 − h0 ;else
g0 := g0 + 2(h0 − h2 );g1 := g1 + h1 ;if d > 4 theng1 := g1 − h3 ;for i := 2 to d − 4 do
gi := gi − hi−2 + 2hi − hi+2 ;for i := d − 3 to d − 2 do
gi := gi − hi−2 + 2hi ;gd−1 := gd−1 − hd−3 ;gd := gd − hd−2 ;for i := 0 to d dofi := gi ;/* Store result in f */Algorithm 5: Algorithm for scaling a reciprocal Laurent polynomial by a power and its
inverse.

2.9. Multipoint Polynomial Evaluation

2.9.1

43

Adaptation for P+1 Algorithm

If we replace b1 with α1 , then r becomes α1P , which satisfies r +r−1 = VP (P1 ). The above algebra
evaluates f at powers of α1 . However α1 , r, hj , x0 , and g√i lie in an extension ring.
2
Arithmetic in the√ {1, ∆}√where ∆ = P1 − 4. The element√ extension ring can use a basis
α1 maps to (P1 + ∆)/2. A product (c0 + c1 ∆)(d0 + d1 ∆) where c0 , c1 , d0 , d1 ∈ Z/N Z
can be done using four base-ring multiplications: c0 d0 , c1 d1 , (c0 + c1 )(d0 + d1 ), c1 d1 ∆, plus fivebase-ring additions.
√√
We definelineartransformations
E
,
E
on
(Z/N
Z)[
∆]
so
that
E
(c
+
c
∆) = c0 and
1
2
1
0
1
√
E2 (c0 + c1 ∆) = c1 for all c0 , c1 ∈ Z/N Z. Extend E1 and E2 to polynomials by applying themto each coefficient.
Some multiplication involves powers of α1 and r. These have norm 1, which may allow
simplifications. For example,√√(c0 + c1 ∆)2 = 2c20 − 1 + 2c0 c1 ∆needs only two multiplications and three additions if c20 − c21 ∆ = 1.
2
To compute rn for successive n, we use recurrences. We observe
rn
2

2

2

2

2

2

= r(n−1) +2 · V2n−3 (r + r−1 ) − r(n−2) +2 ,rn +2 = r(n−1) +2 · V2n−1 (r + r−1 ) − r(n−2) .
22After initializing the variables r1[i] := ri , r2[i] := ri +2 , v[i] := V2i+1 (r + r−1 ) for two consecu2
tive i, we can compute r1[i] = ri for larger i in sequence by
r1[i] := r2[i − 1] · v[i − 2] − r2[i − 2],(2.14)

r2[i] := r2[i − 1] · v[i − 1] − r1[i − 2],v[i] := v[i − 1] · V2 (r + 1/r) − v[i − 2] .

Since we won’t use v[i − 2] and r2[i − 2] again, we can overwrite them with v[i] and r2[i]. For2the computation of r−n where r has norm 1, we can use r−1 as input, by taking the conjugate.
All v[i] are in the base ring but r1[i] and r2[i] are in the extension ring. Each application2of (2.14) takes five base-ring multiplications (compared to two multiplications per rn in the P–1
algorithm).
2
We can compute successive gi = x0M −i r(M −i) similarly. One solution to (2.14) is r1[i] = gi ,1+2i−2M . Again each v[i] is in the base ring, so (2.14)
r2[i] = r2 gi , v[i] = x0 r2M −2i−1 + x−1
0 r
needs only five base-ring multiplications.
If we try to follow this approachfor the multipoint evaluation, we need twice as much space√
for an element of (Z/N Z)[ ∆] as one of Z/N Z. We also need a convolution routine for theextension ring.
If p divides the coefficient of X M −m in g(X)h(X), then p divides both coordinates thereof.
The coefficients of g(X)h(X) occasionally lie in the base ring, making E2 (g(X)h(X)) a poor
choice for the gcd with N . Instead we compute
E1 (g(X)h(X)) = E1 (g(X))E1 (h(X)) + ∆E2 (g(X))E2 (h(X)) .

(2.15)The RLPs E1 (h(X)) and ∆E2 (h(X)) can be computed once and for each of the ℓmax /2 +1 distinct coefficients of its length ℓmax DFT saved in (MHDFT). To compute ∆E2 (h(X)),
multiply E2 (r1[i]) and E2 (r2[i]) by ∆ after initializing for two consecutive i. Then apply (2.14).

Chapter 2. An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms

44

Later, as each gi is computed we insert the NTT image of E2 (gi ) into (MDFT) while saving
E1 (gi ) in (MZNZ) for later use. After forming E1 (g(X))E1 (h(X)), retrieve and save coefficientsof X M −m for 0 ≤ m ≤ ℓ − 1 − s1 . Store these in (MZNZ) while moving the entire saved E1 (gi )into the (now available) (MDFT) buffer. Form the E2 (g(X))E2 (∆h(X)) product and the sumin (2.15).

2.10

Memory Allocation Model

We aim to fit our major data into the following:(MZNZ) An array with s1 /2 elements of Z/N Z, for convolution inputs and outputs. This is usedduring polynomial construction.
This is not needed during P–1 evaluation. During P+1 evaluation, it grows to ℓmax
elements of Z/N Z (if we compute both coordinate of each gi together, saving one of them),
or ℓmax − s1 elements (if we compute the coordinates individually).
(MDFT) An NTT array holding ℓmax values modulo pj per prime pj , for use during DWTs.
Section 2.8.1 does two overlapping squarings, whereas Section 2.8 multiplies two arbitrary
RLPs. Each product degree is at most deg(f ) = s1 . Algorithm 4 needs ℓ ≥ s1 /2 and mightuse convolution length ℓ = ℓmax /2, assuming ℓmax is even. Two arrays of this length fit
in MDFT.
After f has been constructed, MDFT is used for NTT transforms with length up to ℓmax .
(MHDFT) Section 2.9 scales the coefficients of f by powers of r to build h. Then it builds and storesa length-ℓ DFT of h, where ℓ = ℓmax . This transform output normally needs ℓ elements
per pj for P–1 and 2ℓ elements per pj for P+1. The symmetry of h lets us cut these needs
almost in half, to ℓ/2 + 1 elements for P–1 and ℓ + 2 elements for P+1.
During the construction of Fj+1 from Fj , if we need to multiply pairs of monic RLPs occupying
adjacent locations within (MZNZ) (without the leading 1’s), we use (MDFT) and algorithm 4.
The outputs overwrite the inputs within (MZNZ).
During polynomial evaluation for P–1, we need only (MHDFT) and (MDFT). Send the
NTT image of each gi coefficient to (MDFT) as gi is computed. When (MDFT) fills (withℓmax entries), do a length-ℓmax forward DFT on (MDFT), pointwise multiply by the saved
DFT output from h in (MHDFT), and do an inverse DFT in (MDFT). Retrieve each neededpolynomial coefficient, compute their product, and take a gcd with N .

2.10.1

Potentially Large B2

In 2008/2009, a typical PC memory is 4 gigabytes. The median size of composite cofactors N in
the Cunningham project http://homes.cerias.purdue.edu/~ssw/cun/index.html is about
230 decimal digits, which fits in twelve 64-bit words (called quadwords). Table 2.1 estimates thememory requirements during Stage 2, when factoring a 230-digit number, for both polynomialconstruction and polynomial evaluation phases, assuming convolutions use the NTT approach in
Section 2.7.1. The product of our NTT prime moduli must be at least ℓmax (N − 1)2 . If N 2 ℓmax
is below 0.99 · (263 )25 ≈ 10474 , then it will suffice to have 25 NTT primes, each 63 or 64 bits.
The P–1 polynomial construction phase uses an estimated 40.5ℓmax quadwords, vs. 37.5ℓmax
quadwords during polynomial evaluation. We can reduce the overall maximum to 37.5ℓmax by2.11. Opportunities for Parallelization

45

Table 2.1: Estimated memory usage (quadwords) while factoring 230-digit number.
Array
name
(MZNZ)

Construct f .
Both P±112(s1 /2)

(MDFT)(MHDFT)

25ℓmax0

Totals, if
s1 = ℓmax /2

28ℓmax + O(1)Build h.

Evaluate f .

12(s1 /2)

012ℓmax25ℓmax25(ℓmax /2 + 1)
25(ℓmax + 2)
37.5ℓmax + O(1)62ℓmax + O(1)25ℓmax25(ℓmax /2 + 1)
25(ℓmax + 2)
40.5ℓmax + O(1)53ℓmax + O(1)

(P–1)
(P+1)
(P–1)
(P+1)

(P–1)
(P+1)
(P–1)
(P+1)
(P–1)
(P+1)

taking the (full) DFT transform of h in (MDFT), and releasing the (MZNZ) storage before
allocating (MHDFT).
Four gigabytes is 537 million quadwords. A possible value is ℓmax = 223 , which needs 315
million quadwords. When transform length 3 · 2k is supported, we could use ℓmax = 3 · 222 ,which needs 472 million quadwords.
We might use P = 3 · 5 · 7 · 11 · 13 · 17 · 19 · 23 = 111546435, for which φ(P ) = 36495360 =213 · 34 · 5 · 11. We choose s2 | φ(P ) so that s2 is close to φ(P )/(ℓmax /2) ≈ 8.7, i.e., s2 = 9 ands1 = 4055040, giving s1 /ℓmax ≈ 0.48.
We can do 9 convolutions, one for each k2 ∈ S2 . We will be able to find p | N if bq1 ≡ 1(mod p) where q satisfies (2.7) with m < ℓmax − s1 = 4333568. As described in Section 2.6, theeffective value of B2 will be about 9.66 · 1014 .

2.11

Opportunities for Parallelization

Modern PC’s are multi-core, typically with 2–4 CPUs (cores) and a shared memory. Whenrunning on such systems, it is desirable to utilize multiple cores.
While building h(X) and g(X) in Section 2.9, each core can process a contiguous block of2
subscripts. Use the explicit formulas to compute r−j or gi for the first two elements of a block,and the recurrences elsewhere.
If convolutions use NTT’s and the number of processors divides the number of primes, thenallocate the primes evenly across the processors. The (MDFT) and (MHDFT) buffers in Section 2.10 can have separate subbuffers for each prime. On NUMA architectures, the memory
for each subbuffer should be allocated locally to the processor that will process it. Accesses toremote memory occur only when converting the hj and gi to residues modulo small primes, andwhen reconstructing the coefficients of g(x)h(x) with the CRT.

2.12

Our Implementation

Our implementation is based on GMP-ECM, an implementation of P–1, P+1, and the Elliptic
Curve Method for integer factorization. It uses the GMP library [49] for arbitrary precision
arithmetic. The code for Stage 1 of P–1 and P+1 is unchanged; the code for the new Stage 2
has been written from scratch and has replaced the previous implementation [103] which usedproduct trees of cost O n(log n)2 modular multiplications for building polynomials of degree nChapter 2. An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms

46

and a variant of Montgomery’s POLYEVAL [67] algorithm for multipoint evaluation which hascost O n(log n)2 modular multiplications and O(n log n) memory. The practical limit for B2
was between 1014 and 1015 .
GMP-ECM includes modular arithmetic routines, using, e.g., Montgomery’s REDC [64], orfast reduction modulo a number of the form 2n ± 1. It also includes routines for polynomialarithmetic, in particular convolution products. One algorithm available for this purpose is asmall prime NTT/CRT, using the ”Explicit CRT” [12] variant which speeds reduction modulo
N after the CRT step but requires 2 or 3 additional small primes. Its current implementation
allows only for power-of-two transform lengths. Another is Kronecker-Schönhage’s segmentation
method [103], which is faster than the NTT if the modulus is large and the convolution length iscomparatively small, and works for any convolution length. Its main disadvantage is significantly
higher memory use, reducing the possible convolution length.
On a 2.4 GHz Opteron with 8 GB memory, P–1 Stage 2 on a 230-digit composite cofactorof 12254 + 1 with B2 = 1.2 · 1015 , using the NTT with 27 primes for the convolution, can use
P = 64579515, ℓmax = 224 , s1 = 7434240, s2 = 3 and takes 1738 seconds while P+1 Stage 2
takes 3356 seconds. Using multi-threading to use both CPUs on the same machine, P–1 Stage 2
with the same parameters takes 1753 seconds CPU and 941 seconds elapsed time while P+1 takes
3390 seconds CPU and 2323 seconds elapsed time. For comparison, the previous implementationof P–1 Stage 2 in GMP-ECM [103] needs to use a polynomial F (X) of degree 1013760 and 80
blocks for B2 = 1015 and takes 34080 seconds on one CPU of the same machine.
On a 2.6 GHz Opteron with 8 cores and 32 GB of memory, a multi-threaded P–1 Stage 2 on thesame input number with the same parameters takes 1661 seconds CPU and 269 seconds elapsed
time, while P+1 takes 3409 seconds CPU and 642 seconds elapsed time. With B2 = 1.34 · 1016 ,P = 198843645, ℓmax = 226 , s1 = 33177600, s2 = 2, P–1 Stage 2 takes 5483 seconds CPU and
922 elapsed time while P+1 takes 10089 seconds CPU and 2192 seconds elapsed time.

2.13

Some Results

We ran at least one of P±1 on over 1500 composite cofactors, including:(a) Richard Brent’s tables with bn ± 1 factorizations for 13 ≤ b ≤ 99;(b) Fibonacci and Lucas numbers Fn and Ln with n < 2000, or n < 10000 and cofactor size
< 10300 ;(c) Cunningham cofactors of 12n ± 1 with n < 300;(d) Cunningham cofactors of 300 digits and larger.
The B1 and B2 values varied, with B1 = 1011 and B2 = 1016 being typical. Table 2.2 has newlarge prime factors p and the largest factors of the corresponding p ± 1.
The 52-digit factor of 47146 + 1 and the 60-digit factor of L2366 each set a new record for
the P+1 factoring algorithm upon their discovery. The previous record was a 48-digit factor of
L1849 , found by the author in March 2003.
The 53-digit factor of 24142 + 1 has q = 12750725834505143, a 17-digit prime. To ourknowledge, this is the largest prime in the group order associated with any factor found by the
P–1, P+1 or Elliptic Curve methods of factorization.
The largest q reported in Table 2 of [74] is q = 6496749983 (10 digits), for a 19-digit factor
p of 2895 + 1. That table includes a 34-digit factor of the Fibonacci number F575 , which was the
P–1 record in 1989.

2.13. Some Results

47

Input
Factor p foundMethodLargest factors of p ± 1
73109 − 1
76227040047863715568322367158695720006439518152299
P–1
12491 · 37987 · 156059 · 2244509 · 462832247372839
118
68 + 1
7506686348037740621097710183200476580505073749325089∗
P–1
22807 · 480587 · 14334767 · 89294369 · 4649376803 · 5380282339
142
24 + 120489047427450579051989683686453370154126820104624537
P–1
4959947 · 7216081 · 16915319 · 17286223 · 12750725834505143
47146 + 1
7986478866035822988220162978874631335274957495008401
P+1
20540953 · 56417663 · 1231471331 · 1632221953 · 843497917739
L2366
725516237739635905037132916171116034279215026146021770250523
P+1
932677 · 62754121 · 19882583417 · 751245344783 · 483576618980159∗ = Found during Stage 1

Size
c191
p50
c151
p52
c183
p53
c235
p52
c290
p60

Table 2.2: Large P±1 factors foundTable 2.3: Timing for 24142 + 1 factorization
Operation
Minutes (per CPU)Parameters
Compute f
22
P = 198843645
Compute h
2ℓmax = 226
Compute DCT–I(h)8s1 = 33177600
Compute all gi
6 (twice)
s2 = 1
Compute g × h
17 (twice)
m1 = 246
Test for non-trivial gcd
2 (twice)
Total
32 + 2 · 25 = 82
The largest P–1 factor reported in [103, pp. 538–539] is a 58-digit factor of 22098 + 1 with q =9909876848747 (13 digits). Site http://www.loria.fr/~zimmerma/records/Pminus1.html
has other records, including a 66-digit factor of 960119 −1 found by P–1 for which q = 2110402817(only ten digits).
The p53 of 24142 + 1 in Table 2.2 used B1 = 1011 at Montgomery’s site. Stage 1 took 44
hours using a 2200 MHz AMD Athlon processor in 32-bit mode.
Stage 2 ran on an 8-core, 32 GB Grid5000 cluster at the author’s site. Table 2.3 shows where
the time went. The overall Stage 2 time is 8 · 82 = 656 minutes, about 25% of the Stage 1 CPU
time.

48

Chapter 2. An Improved Stage 2 to P±1 Factoring Algorithms

Chapter 3

The Number Field Sieve
3.1

Introduction

The Number Field Sieve (NFS) is the best currently known general factorization algorithm. As
opposed to special factorization algorithms such as those described in Chapter 2 or ECM [62]whose run time depend strongly on the size (or other properties) of the prime factor p of N wehope to find and much less on the size of N , the run time of general factorization algorithms does
not depend on particular properties of the prime factors of an input number, but only on the sizeof N . This makes the NFS the method of choice for factoring “hard” integers, i.e., integers that
contain no prime factors that are small or have other properties that would make them easy tofind by special factoring algorithms.
Factoring the modulus of the public key is one possible attack on the RSA encryption system [85] and, for keys that are not weak keys and where the secret key cannot be obtained
directly, it is the most efficient known attack on RSA. A variant of NFS [48] can be used to solve
the discrete logarithm problem in F∗p and so is one possible attack on the Diffie-Hellman (DH)key exchange algorithm [36]. Therefore great effort has been made over the last twenty years to
improve NFS in order to estimate the minimum modulus size for RSA and DH keys that are outof range for NFS with available computing resources. This size changed considerably over theyears, see Section 3.3 for an overview of NFS integer factoring records.
NFS is a successor of the Quadratic Sieve, which was the best general factoring algorithm
before the advent of NFS and has conjectured asymptotic running time in LN [1/2, 1] for factoring
N , where the L-function is defined ast

Lx [t, c] = e(c+o(1)) log(x) log log(x)1−t.

The Number Field Sieve achieves conjectured complexity
LN [1/3, c],where the constant c is (32/9)1/3 ≈ 1.526 or (64/9)1/3 ≈ 1.923, depending on the variant of NFS,
see Section 3.2.1.
This chapter gives a brief overview of the Number Field Sieve: how it relates to its predecessor, the Quadratic Sieve, and a short description of the different steps performed in an
NFS factorization, to provide context for the following Chapters which focus on the problem of
co-factorization in the sieving step of NFS.
49

Chapter 3. The Number Field Sieve

50

3.1.1

The Quadratic Sieve

The Quadratic sieve was developed by Carl Pomerance [84], based on the unpublished (butdescribed in [84]) Linear Sieve by Schröppel. Silverman [92] implements a Multiple Polynomial
Quadratic Sieve variant based on ideas of Montgomery (which are also mentioned in [84]), andContini [27] reduces the cost of polynomial changes with the Self-Initialising Quadratic Sieve.
We give a brief description of the QS to introduce a few concepts common to QS and NFS, anddon’t consider the mentioned improvements to QS here to keep the description simple.
The basic idea of the Quadratic
Sieve is to collect relations y = x2 −N where x ranges over an√interval of integers close to N , and y will consequently take integer values bounded by N 1/2+ǫ .
Values of y which are “smooth,” i.e., that have no prime factor greater than some smoothness
bound B, are completely factored and stored together with the associated x-value. Once enoughsuch relations are found, a subset of these (x, y)-pairs such that the product of y-values in thissubset forms an integer square can be determined by linear algebra: an integer is a square if allits prime factors appear in even power, and the exponent vector of the canonical factorizationof a product is the sum of the exponent vectors of the multiplier and the multiplicand. Thus
we can look for kernel vectors of a matrix over F2 to find a product of y-values whose exponent
vector has all components 0 (mod 2), i.e., which is an integer square. If we have at least as
many relations as primes appear among the factorizations of the y-values, the linear system canbe solved. The product of the so selected y-values and the product of the associated x2 -values
thus form congruent squares,
X2 ≡ Y 2(mod N )(3.1)

where X and Y can be obtained from the stored x and factored y-values. If X 6≡ ±Y (mod N ),then gcd(X − Y, N ) finds a proper factor of N . For composite N that are not pure powers, (3.1)
has at least 4 solutions for any X ⊥ N ; if the factoring algorithm produces one of these solutions
at random, then the probability of having a non-trivial factorization is at least 1/2.
The great advantage of QS over earlier general factoring algorithms such as the Continued
Fraction Method [59] is that values of x where y is divisible by a prime p form arithmetic
progressions of common difference p, i.e., if f (x) is a polynomial with integer coefficients and wechoose an x such that p | f (x), then p | f (x+kp) for all integers k. This greatly simplifies the taskof factoring the y-values in the QS: given y = f (x) for n consecutive values of x, instead of trying
all candidate prime divisors 2 ≤ p < B for each y-value individually with cost in O(nπ(B)),
disc(f )6= −1 with
we determine the roots f (x1|2,p ) ≡ 0 (mod p) for each 2 ≤ p < B wherepcost O(π(B)) and can divide out this prime p from all y = f (x)-values with x ≡ x1|2,p (mod p)(“sieve,” similar as in the Sieve of Eratosthenes) for a cost approximately O(n/p), which gives a
total cost for sieving all primes p of only O(n log log(B) + π(B)).

3.1.2

NFS: a First Experiment

The basic idea of NFS, still in infancy, was described by Pollard [82] who demonstrated how tofactor the seventh Fermat number N = F7 = 2128 + 1 by use of cubic integers. Underlying theidea is the fact that a small multiple of N can be expressed easily by a monic polynomial of
degree 3 as 2N = 2129 + 2 = f (x) = x3 + 2 for x = 243 , i.e., 243 is a root of f (x) mod N . A
complex root α of f (x) defines an algebraic number field Q[α] which contains the ring Z[α] ofelements a + bα + cα2 , a, b, c ∈ Z. A natural homomorphism φ : Q[α] → Z/N Z exists by α 7→ 243(mod N ).

3.1. Introduction

51

Pollard now looks for a non-empty set S ⊂ Z2 such thatγ2 =Y(a − bα)(3.2)

Y(a − b243 )(3.3)(a,b)∈S

is the square of some element γ ∈ Z[α], andg2 =(a,b)∈S

is the square of an integer g. With these, he computes γ and uses the homomorphism φ to obtainφ(γ) ∈ Z/N Z such that φ(γ)2 ≡ g 2 (mod N ) but hopefully φ(γ) 6≡ ±g (mod N ), since thengcd(φ(γ) − g, N ) produces a non-trivial factor of N .

The search for a suitable set S works similarly as in the Quadratic Sieve: he collects relations,(a, b)-pairs with a, b ∈ Z and a ⊥ b, from a small search region |a| ≤ 4800, 1 ≤ b ≤ 2000, where
the norm of a − bα (denoted N (a − bα), a rational integer) and of a + b243 both factor into primes
not exceeding B = 3571, plus at most one prime less than 10000 in each a + b243 value. Thisis facilitated by using the fact that both N (a − bα) = a3 + 4b3 and a − bM are homogeneouspolynomials in a and b. For each fixed value of b, the two polynomials can be sieved over a range
of a-values. In this example Z[α] is a unique factorization domain, is equal to the ring of integersof Q[α], and has unit group of rank 1 where the principal unit 1+α is easy to find. This way eacha − bα of smooth norm can be readily factored over a small set of prime elements of Z[α], a sign
and a power of the principal unit. Given sufficiently many relations with completely factoreda − bα (in Z[α]) and a − b243 (in Z), he constructs a set S satisfying (3.2) and (3.3), again byuse of linear algebra to ensure that in each of the two products all primes and units occur ineven exponent. Since the explicit factorization of each a − bα and a − b243 into powers of primes
and units is known, the square root can be taken by dividing exponents by 2 and computing the
product.
Both QS and NFS look for values of polynomials that are “smooth,” i.e., that contain noprime factors greater√ than some smoothness limit 2B. In case of (our simplified) QS, we choose
N and look for smooth y = x − N where the y-values are roughly as large
integers
x
close
to
√
as N ; for the NFS example, we look for pairs (a, b) where two polynomials F (a, b) = a3 + 4b3
and G(a, b) = a + b243 are simultaneously smooth. The reason why NFS is asymptotically fasterthan QS, even though for each relation it requires two values both being smooth instead of only
one, is that the values are smaller. In Pollard’s example, the values of G(a, b) are of size roughly
N 1/3 and the values of F (a, b) are smaller still. The probability of an integer n being smooth toa given bound decreases rapidly with the size of n, and even though we have two values of size
roughly N 1/3 , for large enough N , assuming independentsmoothness probability, they are more√
likely both smooth than a single value around N .
At the time of Pollard’s experiment, it was not at all clear whether the idea could be extended
to numbers that are not of such a simple form as 2128 + 1, or where the relevant ring Z[α] inthe number field is not as “well-behaved,” and if it could, whether this algorithm would be fasterthan the Quadratic Sieve for input sizes of interest. The answer to both turned out to be an
enthusiastic “yes,” and the NFS currently stands unchallenged for factoring hard integers of morethan approximately 100 decimal digits.

Chapter 3. The Number Field Sieve

52

3.2

Overview of NFS

In this section we briefly summarize the Number Field Sieve. It requires two distinct polynomials
f1 (x) =d1
Xf1,i xif2 (x) =

and

i=0

d2
X

f2,i xi

(3.4)

i=0

of degree d1 and d2 , respectively, with f1,i , f2,i ∈ Z, each polynomial irreducible over Q, ofcontent 1 and with a known common root M modulo N , the number to be factored:
f1 (M ) ≡ f2 (M ) ≡ 0
The homogeneous forms of these polynomials are
a
bd 1
and
F1 (a, b) = f1
b(mod N ).

F2 (a, b) = f2

(3.5)

a
b

bd 2 .

(3.6)

Let α1 be a complex root of f1 (x), then Q[α1 ] defines a number field which contains thering Z[α1 ], however this ring is not integral if f1 (x) is non-monic and even if it is, generally isneither the full ring of integers of Q[α1 ], nor has unique factorization. Since M is a root of f1 (x)(mod N ), a natural homomorphism φ1 : Q[α1 ] → Z/N Z exists by α1 7→ M (mod N ). Similarly
for the second polynomial.
The goal of NFS is to construct γ1 ∈ Z[α1 ] and γ2 ∈ Z[α2 ] with φ1 (γ12 ) ≡ φ2 (γ22 ) (mod N ),since then X = φ1 (γ1 ) and Y = φ2 (γ2 ) satisfy X 2 ≡ Y 2 (mod N ) and so, if X 6≡ ±Y (mod N )holds, gcd(X − Y, N ) reveals a proper factor of N . We achieve this by constructingY
γ12 =(a − bα1 )
and
(3.7)
(a,b)∈S

γ22=Y(a,b)∈S(a − bα2 )(3.8)

with a suitably chosen set S such that (3.7) and (3.8) are a square in Z[α1 ] and Z[α2 ], respectively.
Since φ1 (a − bα1 ) ≡ a − bM ≡ φ2 (a − bα2 ) (mod N ), the images of (3.7) and (3.8) are congruent
modulo N as required.
In aPnumber field K = Q[x]/f (x)Q[x]
Q of degree d with α = x̄ the norm of an element
ω(x) = 0≤i<d ci xi is defined as N (ω) = 1≤j≤d ω(αj ) where the αj are the d complex roots off (x). For ω ∈ Z[α] the norm is a rational integer if f (x) is monic, (otherwise the norm times theleading coefficient of f (x) is an integer, for simplicity we assume the monic case) and for elementsa − bα we have simply N (a − bα) = bd f (a/b) = F (a, b), where F (a, b) is the homogeneous formof f (x). The norm is multiplicative, i.e., N (ωθ) = N (ω)N (θ) for any ω, θ ∈ K, implying that
N (ω 2 ) is an integer square for any ω ∈ Z[α].
To construct S, we look for relations (a, b), a ⊥ b, where
Q F1 (a, b) is B1 -smooth and F2 (a, b)
is B2 -smooth. By considering the norms, we see that (a,b)∈S F1 (a, b) must be a square in Z
for (3.7) to be a square in Z[α1 ] (likewise for the second polynomial in the following), but thiscondition is generally not sufficient, as distinct primes in Z[α1 ] may have equal norm. Therefore,
instead of considering only the factorization of the norm F (a, b) into rational primes, we consider
the factorization of the ideal generated by a − bα1 in Z[α1 ] into prime ideals. Each prime idealthat occurs as a divisor of (a − bα1 ) is uniquely identified by (p, r) where p is a prime factor of
F1 (a, b) and is the norm of the prime ideal, and r = a · b−1 (mod p) is the corresponding rootof f1 (x) (mod p). That is, we do not consider only the prime factors of N (a − bα1 ), but further

3.2. Overview of NFS

53

distinguish them by which of the up to d1 possible roots of f (x) (mod p) they correspond to.
The set S is then chosen such that all prime ideals occur in even exponent in both (3.7) and (3.8).
This is still not quite sufficient for ensuring that these products are squares in their respective
ring, as the unit group and class group parts might not be squares, but this problem is elegantly
circumvented by use of quadratic characters, described in Section 3.2.4.
Very frequently the second polynomial is chosen to be linear in which case Q[α2 ] is simply Q
and factorization of a − bα into prime ideals is
Qequivalent to factorization of F2 (a, b) into rational
primes; then the condition that the product (a,b)∈S F2 (a, b) is an integer square is sufficient. In
this case everything relating to Z[α2 ] throughout the NFS algorithm is called the “rational side”
and anything relating to Z[α1 ] is called the “algebraic side.”
In the sieving step we try to find sufficiently many relations (a, b) within a sieving region|a| ≤ A, 0 < b ≤ B, see Section 3.2.2. The polynomials f1 (x) and f2 (x) are chosen such thatthe values of F1 (a, b) and F2 (a, b) are likely smooth for a, b in the sieve region; an overview ofmethods for polynomial selection is given in Section 3.2.1. The relations obtained in the sieving
step are processed to remove duplicate relations and to reduce the size of the resulting matrix,
see Section 3.2.3. In the linear algebra step we determine a subset S of the relations foundduring sieving such that (3.7) and (3.8) hold. This involves solving a very large and very sparse
homogeneous linear system over F2 ; two suitable algorithms are mentioned in Section 3.2.4. The
square root step, described in Section 3.2.5, determines γ1 and γ2 from γ12 and γ22 , respectively,
and computes gcd(φ1 (γ1 ) − φ2 (γ2 ), N ), hoping to find a proper factor of N .

3.2.1

Polynomial Selection

To reduce the cost of the sieving, we try to choose f1 (x) and f2 (x) so as to maximise the expected
number of relations found in the sieve region, or conversely to allow the smallest sieve region to
produce the required number of relations that lets us construct congruent squares. As mentioned,
the probability of the polynomial values being smooth decreases rapidly with their size, so one
criteria is that we would like to choose polynomials with small coefficients. A trivial method is
to pick a degree d1 ≈ (3 log(n)/ log(log(n)))1/3 and to take M = ⌊N 1/(d1 +1) ⌋. Now we can write
N in base-M to obtain the coefficients of f1 (x), and choose f2 (x) = −x + M .
Somewhat surprisingly, this trivial idea is asymptotically the best possible (see [20, §3]) in
the sense that any improvements due to better polynomial selection are absorbed in the o(1)term of the Lx [t, c] notation. In practice, elaborate methods for finding good polynomials areused which offer a significant speedup over the naïve method.
Early GNFS implementations such as in [11] used basically the base-M method, but included
a brute-force search for a good value of M that leads to small polynomial coefficients.
Murphy [75] presents a way of modelling the expected number of relations found by sieving
two given polynomials over a sieve region with given smoothness bounds, and shows how to
improve the base-M method for selecting polynomials that enjoy not only small average value
over the sieve region, but also have favourable root properties. The root properties model theaverage contribution of small prime factors to the size of polynomial values. For polynomials
which have many roots modulo small primes, this contribution is greater, and these polynomial
values are more likely smooth than when few small prime divisors are present.
Kleinjung [54] extends Murphy’s work by allowing a common root M of the two polynomials
that is not an integer close to N d1 +1 , but a rational number M = k/l. This leads to a linear
polynomial g(x) = lx − k and greatly extends the search space of suitable M values which allows
picking one that leads to particularly small polynomial values. He further improves techniques
to generate polynomials with good root properties.

Chapter 3. The Number Field Sieve

54

For integers N of no special form, a suitable polynomial f (x) is found by the above methods
and the second polynomial g(x) is chosen to be linear; then the coefficients of both polynomials
are bounded by O N 1/d1 . With this bound, the constant c in (3.1) is conjectured to be (64/9)1/3 .
For integers of a simple algebraic form such as F7 = 2128 + 1, a polynomial with very small
coefficients can easily be found manually. For this type of numbers, we can take the size of thecoefficients of f (x) to be bounded by a constant, which reduces the constant c to conjecturally(32/9)1/3 .

3.2.2

Sieving

The task of the sieving step is to identify many relations, (a, b)-pairs with a ⊥ b such that F1 (a, b)
and F2 (a, b) are both smooth. The smoothness criterion determines the sieving parameters, so wechoose smoothness bounds B1 and B2 , a typical order of magnitude being 107 for a factorizationof 150-digit numbers, and consider F1 (a, b) smooth if no prime exceeding B1 divides it (similarly
for F2 (a, b)). In practice, a large prime variant is used as it greatly increases the number ofrelations found at little extra cost. We add large prime bounds L1 and L2 , usually about 100
times the respective factor base bound, and consider F1 (a, b) smooth if all its prime factor do
not exceed B1 except for at most k1 prime factors up to L1 , similarly for F2 (a, b).
To find (a, b)-pairs where F1 (a, b) and F2 (a, b) are smooth, a sieving method is used, using
the fact that F1 (a, b)-values (and likewise for F2 (a, b) in the following) that are divisible by aprime p form a regular pattern in Z2 . Let r be a root of f1 (x) (mod p), then the (a, b)-pairs
where p | F1 (a, b) are exactly those where a ≡ br (mod p). (The homogeneous form F1 (a, b) may
have roots with b ≡ 0 (mod p), namely for p that divide the leading coefficient of f1 (x); suchroots correspond to roots at infinity of f1 (x) (mod p) and are not considered here.)
The sieving process starts by building a factor base: a list of primes p ≤ B1 and for each theroots of f1 (x) (mod p), likewise for f2 (x). For the rational side (assuming f2 (x) is linear), thisprocess is simple enough to do it at the start of the siever program, for the algebraic side thefactor base is commonly computed once and stored in a file.
The sieving is performed over a sieve region −A ≤ a < A, 0 < b ≤ B which is chosenlarge enough that one may expect to find sufficiently large set of relations so that the linear
algebra phase can find a subset S that satisfies (3.7) and (3.8). In principle, sieving can end
when the number of relations (forming the variables of the linear system over F2 , each relation
can be included in S or not) exceeds the number of prime ideals that occur among the relations(forming the equations of the linear system, the sum of exponents of each prime ideal must be
even in the solution), since then the resulting matrix has at least one non-zero kernel vector. In
practice one wants a healthy amount of excess (the difference of the number of relations and of
the prime ideals among them), as this allows reducing the size of the matrix and several kernel
vectors may need to be tried to find a non-trivial factorization. A ratio of 10% more relations
than ideals is a good rule-of-thumb.
To speed up the sieving process, it is not performed on the values of F1 (a, b) and F2 (a, b)themselves. Instead, for each (a, b) in the sieve region, a rounded base-l logarithm ⌊logl (F1 (a, b))⌉is stored in an array, and each prime in the factor base that divides F1 (a, b) (“hits at (a,b)”)subtracts ⌊logl (p)⌉ from the corresponding array location. This replaces an integer division bya simpler integer subtraction per hit; the logarithm base l is commonly chosen such that therounded logarithms fit into one byte to conserve memory. The pairs (a, b) where F1 (a, b) issmooth will have a small value remaining in their array entry; entries where the remaining sievevalue is below a threshold are remembered and the sieving process is repeated for F2 (a, b). The
repeated subtraction of rounded logarithms accumulates some rounding error which needs to be3.2. Overview of NFS

55

taken into account when choosing the sieve report threshold. Those (a, b) where both sieving
passes left values below the respective threshold are good candidates for being proper relations
and are examined more closely: the corresponding F1,2 (a, b)-values are factored exactly over the
integers to test whether they satisfy the smoothness criterion. Here, the large prime variantscome into play: if one allows large primes, a larger sieve report threshold is chosen accordingly,
and the exact factorization of F1,2 (a, b) needs to be able to handle composite cofactors after
dividing out the factor base primes. The cofactors can consist of between 16 − 30 decimal digits(and even more for very large factorizations) and prime factors of typically 8 − 10 decimal digits
are permitted as large primes and need to be found efficiently. Suitable methods are describedin Chapter 4.
T
The sieve region [−A, A] × [1, B] Z2 is usually far too large to be sieved all at once. Instead
is it partitioned into smaller pieces which are sieved independently. Two major variants of thissieving process exist: line sieving and lattice sieving.
Line sieving is the simpler one: for each value of b in the sieve region, the line −A ≤ a < A istreated individually. If it is still too large, the line can be partitioned further. Within a line, foreach factor base prime p with root r, the smallest a0 ≥ −A with a0 ≡ br (mod p) is computed,
then each a = a0 + kp ≤ A, k ∈ N, is hit by the sieving.
Lattice sieving was suggested by Pollard [83] and, while more complicated, performs significantly better and has superseded line sieving in larger factorization efforts. The idea is toconsider the lattice in Z2 where one of the two polynomials, usually F1 (a, b) (although for some
SNFS factorizations F2 (a, b) is chosen instead), is known to be divisible
 bya “special-q”
value.
 If
a
q ρ
i
ρ is a root of f1 (x) (mod q), then q | F1 (a, b) if a ≡ bρ (mod q), and
=
,
b
0 1
j
i, j ∈ Z, is the lattice of points (a, b) where ab−1 = ρ (mod q), implying q | F1 (a, b). Examining
only such a, b where we know a prime factor q of F1 (a, b) significantly increases the chance that
F (a, b)/q will be smooth, thus increasing the yield of the sieving. This allows choosing a smaller
factor base and sieve region and still obtaining the required number of relations, thus reducing
computation time and memory use.
The sieving procedure becomes more complicated, however. The sieve region in the i, j-plane
is chosen relatively small, typically (depending on the size of the input number) −I ≤ i < I,
0 ≤ j < J with I = 2k , J = I/2, 11 ≤ k ≤ 16. Since each line in the sieve region in the i, j-planeis rather short, line-sieving in this plane is inefficient, since each factor base prime would need tobe applied to each line individually, resulting in complexity O(JB + IJ log log(B)) per special-q.
Since B ≫ I, the JB term would dominate (corresponding to finding the first location in the line
where the factor base prime hits, yet in any given line, most factor base primes don’t hit at all).
Instead, for each factor base prime p and each associated root of the polynomial being sieved,
the lattice where p hits in the i, j-plane is computed which allows enumerating the locations thatare hit very efficiently, and the complexity drops to O(B + IJ log log(B)). The implied constantfor the B term is greater than that in the JB term seen before, due to the need to transformthe roots of factor base primes to the i, j-plane and to compute a reduced lattice basis for each,but this increase is far smaller than the factor J (typically several thousand) that appears if
individual j-values were line-sieved.
Franke and Kleinjung [40] give the details of a very efficient lattice sieving algorithm.

3.2.3

Filtering

Before a matrix is built, the relations are processed in the filtering step of NFS, to allow building
a matrix that is easier to solve than one containing all relations found in the sieving would be.

56

Chapter 3. The Number Field Sieve

The processing is performed in several successive stages.
Duplicates. First of all, duplicate relations are deleted, as those might lead to trivial solutionsof the matrix which would produce only trivial factorizations. Duplicate relations occur in large
number when lattice sieving is used, as one (a, b)-pair may have a polynomial value F1 (a, b)(assuming the special-q values are chosen for the f1 (x) polynomial) that contains two or moreprime factors in the range of primes that are used for special-q values. Even with line sieving,which in theory does not produce duplicates, partial output from interrupted and re-started
sieving jobs or accidental sieving of overlapping ranges of b-values often leads to duplicates inpractice. In the duplicate removal step, the number of relations decreases while the number ofprime ideals occurring among the relations stays constant, so that the excess decreases by 1 foreach deleted relation. This effect makes it tricky to predict the number of useful relations foundby lattice sieving via sampling the sieving over an estimated range of special-q values: in thesmall sampling data, the ratio of duplicates to unique relations will be very small, but in thecomplete data set, it is often as large as 30%.
Singletons. In the next filtering step, relations containing singleton ideals are deleted. Since
the goal is finding a subset of relations in whose product every prime ideal occurs to an evenpower, relations containing a prime ideal in an odd power (usually with exponent 1) that occurs
in no other relations cannot be part of any solution, and can be omitted from the matrix. Whensuch relations are deleted, prime ideals that occurred among the deleted and exactly one notdeleted relation now become new singletons (“ripple-effect”), and the singleton removal can be
repeated until no relations with singleton ideals remain or so few are left that they add negligible
size to the matrix. Each deleted relation contains at least one prime ideal that occurs nowhere
else among the relations, so that when the number of remaining relations decreases by 1 thenumber of remaining prime ideals also decreases by at least 1, thus the excess does not decreasein this step. In fact, some relations contain two (very rarely more) singleton ideals, and deletingthese actually increases the excess slightly.
Since the prime ideals occurring among the relations must be identified to find singleton
ideals, they can be counted as well, and the exact amount of excess can be determined. If there
remains any positive excess after the singleton removal step, then a matrix could in principle bebuilt and solved. In practice, one wants a good deal of excess in order to reduce the size of thematrix, and to be able to satisfy some additional constraints on the product of relations from a
set of kernel vectors of the matrix.
Connected components. Given a relation set with excess after singleton removal, the data
set and hence the matrix size can be shrunk very efficiently by removing connected components(often called “cliques” in this context, although the connected components in question aren’t
necessarily complete subgraphs). For this, each relation of the data set is considered a node of agraph, and two nodes are connected if and only if they have a prime ideal that occurs in odd powerin these two and in no other relation. Deleting any relation in a connected component causes anideal that formed the vertex to this node to become singleton, and by applying singleton removal,
the entire connected component is removed eventually. For each deleted connected component,
the excess drops by at most 1 (for the first relation that is deleted, as singleton removal does
not reduce excess) and removing large connected components is a very effective way of reducing
excess in a way that minimizes the number of ideals among the remaining relations. Removing
connected components may cause ideals among the deleted relations to occur in odd power among3.2. Overview of NFS

57

exactly two of the remaining relations, causing new vertices to appear in the graph. Thus theremoval of connected components should be done in several passes, until the excess is reduced
to a small positive number, e.g., around 100.
Merging. The remaining relations could be turned into a matrix, using the concatenatedexponent vectors modulo 2 of the prime ideals of Z[α1 ] and of Z[α2 ] as equations, and one
variable in F2 per relation (whether to include it in the solution or not) as variables. The
resulting linear system is large and very sparse, and with algorithms typically used for solving
such sparse large matrices over F2 such as Block-Lanczos and Block-Wiedemann, the run timedepends on the product wM 2 , where w is the weight (the number of nonzero entries) and M isthe dimension of the matrix. Therefore we may be able to save time in the matrix phase if we
can make the matrix smaller, but somewhat more heavy. This is the task of the merging phase.
First observe that if a prime ideal occurs to odd exponent in exactly two relations, then those
two relations must either be both included to form a square, or both not included. Hence those
two relations can be merged into one by taking their product, i.e., adding their exponent vectors;
the shared prime ideal occurs to even exponent in this product and does not occur in any otherrelation, thus it needs not be considered in the matrix. The resulting vector will have at most
two non-zero entries fewer than the two original relations had, so the matrix dimension decreasesby 1 and the weight by at least 2, making “2-way merges” always worthwhile.
If a prime ideal occurs in exactly 3 relations, we can form two distinct products from themand use them in place of the three original relations. Again one prime ideal disappears from thematrix, but now we have two relations that each may be about twice as heavy as the originalones, so the total weight might increase. This can be mitigated by choosing the two distinct
products whose exponent vectors have smallest weight, but problem of weight increase during
merging becomes apparent, and becomes more pressing for higher-way merges.
Cavallar [21] describes an implementation of the filtering step of NFS, including all steps from
duplicate removal to merges of relations with prime ideals of frequency up to 19, and examines
the effect of merging on the run-time of the Block-Lanczos algorithm for solving the resulting
matrix.

3.2.4

Linear Algebra

The goal of the linear algebra step of NFS is, given a set of relations produced by the sieving andfiltering steps, to find a subset S such that (3.7) and (3.8) are satisfied. In the filtering we madesure that we can combine the remaining relations into a product where all prime ideals dividing
the ideal generated by γ1 and γ2 , respectively, occur in even power, and this is a necessary
condition for being a square in Z[α1 ] and Z[α2 ], respectively, but it is generally not sufficient.
In spite of this, we first look at the problem of finding solutions which ensure that all prime
ideals occur in even power; given a small number of such solutions, the remaining conditions canthen be satisfied relatively easily.
From the factorization of each ideal (a−bα1 ) in Z[α1 ] and (a−bα2 ) in Z[α2 ] into prime ideals,
we take the exponent modulo 2 of each prime ideal to form column vectors over F2 . This forms
a matrix that contains a column for each (merged) relation and a row for each prime ideal that
occurs among the relations. This produces a large and very sparse matrix, since each relation
contains only a small number of prime ideals. For factorizations of general numbers of around150 digits, the matrix size is of the order of a few million rows and columns, see Table 3.1. The
number of entries per column is typically between 50 and 150.

Chapter 3. The Number Field Sieve

58

To solve such large, sparse linear systems, the venerable Gaussian elimination algorithm is illsuited. As rows are added during the elimination, the sparseness of the matrix is lost, and a dense
representation of the matrix would have to be used which is not feasible for matrices of dimension
well above 106 . Suitable algorithms are iterative methods such as Block-Wiedemann [31] andBlock-Lanczos [69] that both find a set of kernel vectors by performing only (possibly transposed)
matrix-vector products, leaving the matrix unaltered.
Choosing a set S in this way with resulting products Γi of relations a − bαi for each i = 1, 2 isgenerally not sufficient to ensure that Γi is the square of an element of γi ∈ Z[αi ]. The possible
obstructions are given in [20, §6].
Fortunately, this problem can be solved easily with an elegant trick. For each relation (a, b)
we determine the quadratic character χp (a − bα1 ) in Fp [x]/f (x) for a prime p that does notdivide any F (a, b) among our relations and likewise for the second polynomial g(x) (unless it islinear, in which case attention must be given only to the unit −1 of Z if Q
the values of G(a, b)
can be negative.) In any set S such that the product (3.7) is a square, 1 = (a,b)∈S χp (a − bα1 ).
Thus we can use quadratic characters as a “probabilistic squareness test” of sorts; by doing
sufficiently many and choosing S such that they all indicate a square product, we can be quite
certain to obtain a proper square in Z[α]. Thus we can use log−1 (χp (a − bα)), which is 0 if thecharacter indicates a square and is 1 otherwise, and use it as an additional equation in the linear
system. Solving the homogeneous system ensures that the sum of logarithms of each character
is 0, i.e., their product is 1, indicating that the solution is a square. Assuming that a random
non-square element ω of Z[α] has χp (ω) = 1 with probability 1/2 and that the probabilities are
independent for χp with different p, each character added to the linear system reduces the numberof non-square solutions in the kernel of the matrix by 1/2. By adding a few more charactersthan the rank of the unit group plus hZ[α] , the class number of Z[α], we can be reasonably surethat the kernel of the matrix contains mostly vectors that indicate sets S that satisfy (3.7) and(3.8). Computing the class number is itself a non-trivial problem, and in practice one usuallychooses a constant number of characters that “ought to do it,” the actual number varying between
implementations, but usually being between 32 and 64, rarely more.

3.2.5

Square Root

The linear algebra step produced a set S ⊂ Z2 that satisfies (3.7) and (3.8). We now need
2 in their respective number fields so that we can finally taketo take the square roots of γ1,2gcd(φ(γ1 ) − φ(γ2 ), N ), hoping to find a non-trivial factor of N .
√In Pollard’s first experiment, computing the√ square root was easy, since Z[ −2] enjoys uniquefactorization so that he could factor each a−b −2 into prime elements. Given their factorization,
he obtains the factorization of γ12 and computes γ1 simply by halving the exponent of each primeelement. With the second polynomial linear, taking a square root on the rational side is simply
taking a square root of a rational integer.
A simple approach that was considered impractical in the early days of NFS due to insufficient
memory in the available computing hardware has recently been revived. The idea is to use
isomorphism of Z[α1 ] with Z[x]/f (x)Z[x] and to computeY(a − bx) mod f (x),
Γ(x) = (a,b)∈S

where the coefficients of the resulting polynomial will be very large, and fast algorithms for in-
teger multiplication such as the one described in Chapter 1 must be used; with a naïve O n2

3.3. NFS Factoring Records

59

multiplication algorithm, this simple square root step has time complexity similar to the sieving
and linear algebra steps, but with fast multiplication techniques its time complexity is asymptotp
ically negligible and practically satisfactory. GivenpΓ(x), we would like to obtain γ(x) = Γ(x)in Z[x]/f (x)Z[x], which we can do by computing Γ(x) in Fp /f (x)Fp for a small prime p suchthat f (x) is irreducible over Fp , and using Hensel lifting of the result to a power pk such that pk
is greater than the coefficients of γ(x).
Couveignes [32] presents an algorithm that performs the square root modulo different smaller
prime powers pki i and constructs the solution via the Chinese Remainder Theorem. It can operatewith less memory than the simple method, but works only for polynomials f (x) of odd degreeand has fallen out of use.
Montgomery [68] proposes an algorithm based on lattice reduction for computing square(and higher) roots of products such as (3.7) and (3.8) in algebraic number fields; Nguyen [76]implements it. It is fast and uses little memory, but is far more complex to implement than thetwo methods previously mentioned.

3.3

NFS Factoring Records

The maximum size of numbers that can be factored with NFS increased considerably over the
20 years since its inception, both due to algorithmic improvements and computers with faster
CPUs and larger main memory becoming available. Table 3.1 lists factorization records for the
General Number Field Sieve and Table 3.2 lists records for the Special Number Field Sieve.
For SNFS, the difficulty is listed, which is defined as the base-10 logarithm of the resultant of
the two polynomials used. The number 2, 1642M refers to the algebraic factor 2821 + 2411 + 1
of 21642 + 1. Where available we give the number of unique relations obtained, size of matrix
and total computation time for the factorization. The latter is often hard to state precisely
due to a large number of different computer systems used within one factorization. Where aformal publication of the result exists, it is cited. In the other cases, the factorization is usually
announced by a message to a number theory mailing list; such messages of record factorizations
are collected by Contini [26].

Chapter 3. The Number Field Sieve

60

Number
RSA-130
RSA-140
RSA-1552953 + 1
RSA-160
RSA-57611281 + 1
RSA-200
RSA-768

Digits
130
140
155
158
160
174
176
200
232

Year
1996
1999
1999
2002
2003
2003
2005
2005
2009

Nr. rel.
56.515.672
56.605.498
85.534.738
254.033.792
289.145.711

Matrix size
3.516.502
4.704.451
6.711.336
5.792.705
5.037.191

Approx. time1000 MIPS years
2000 MIPS years
8000 MIPS years
4 GHz-years

455.989.949
2.260.000.000
47.762.243.404

8.526.749
64.000.000
192.796.550

32 GHz years
165 GHz years
3700 GHz years

By
Lenstra et al.
te Riele et al. [23]te Riele et al. [24]Franke et al.
Franke et al.
Franke et al.
Aoki et al.
Franke et al.
Kleinjung et al. [55]

Table 3.1: Records for the General Number Field Sieve

Number
10211 − 1
2773 + 1
2809 − 1
2, 1642M
6353 − 1
21039 − 1

Difficulty
211
233.0
243.8
247.4
275.5
312.8

Year
1999
2000
2003
2004
2006
2007

Nr. rel.
56.394.064
85.786.223
343.952.357
438.270.192
2.208.187.490
13.822.743.049

Matrix size
4.895.741
6.758.509

Approx. time
11 CPU years
57 CPU years

7.429.778
19.591.108
66.718.354

22 GHz years
61 GHz years
400 GHz years

Table 3.2: Records for the Special Number Field Sieve

By
The Cabal
The CabalFranke et al.
Aoki et al.
Aoki et al.
Aoki et al. [2]Chapter 4

Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1,
and ECM in the Number Field Sieve
4.1

Introduction

The sieving step of the Number Field Sieve [60] identifies integer pairs (a, b) with a ⊥ b suchthat the values of two homogeneous polynomials Fi (a, b), i ∈ {1, 2}, are both smooth, where
the sieving parameters are chosen according to the smoothness criterion. Typically the twopolynomials each have a “factor base bound” Bi , a “large prime bound” Li , and a permissible
maximum number of large primes ki associated with them, so that Fi (a, b) is considered smooth
if it contains only prime factors up to Bi except for up to ki prime factors greater than Bi , but
none exceeding Li . For example, for the factorization of the RSA-155 challenge number [24] (ahard integer of 512-bit) the values B = 224 , L = 109 and k = 2 were used for both polynomials
for most of the sieving. Kleinjung [53] gives an estimate for the cost of factoring a 1024-bit RSA
key based on the parameters B1 = 1.1 · 109 , B2 = 3 · 108 , and L1 = L2 = 242 with k1 = 5 andk2 = 4.
The contribution of the factor base primes to each polynomial value Fi (a, b) for a set of (a, b)
pairs is approximated with a sieving procedure, which estimates roughly what the size of thepolynomial values will be after factor base primes have been divided out. If these estimates for aparticular (a, b) pair are small enough that both Fi (a, b) values might be smooth, the polynomial
values are computed, the factor base primes are divided out, and the two cofactors ci are tested
to see if they satisfy the smoothness criterion.
If only one large prime is permitted, no factoring needs to be carried out at all for the large
primes: if ci > Li for either i, this (a, b) pair is discarded. Since generally Li < B2i and all prime
factors below Bi have been removed, a cofactor ci ≤ Li is necessarily prime and need not be
factored.
If up to two large primes are permitted, and the cofactor ci is composite and therefore greaterthan the large prime bound but below L2i (or a suitably chosen threshold somewhat less thenL2i ), it is factored. Since the prime factors in ci are bounded below by Bi , and Li is typically lessthan B1.5
i , the factors can be expected not to be very much smaller than the square root of thecomposite number. This way the advantage of special purpose factoring algorithms when small
divisors (compared to the composite size) are present does not come into great effect, and general
purpose factoring algorithms like SQUFOF or MPQS perform well. In previous implementations
of QS and NFS, various algorithms for factoring composites of two prime factors have been used,
including SQUFOF and Pollard-Rho in [38, Chapter 3.6], and P–1, SQUFOF, and Pollard-Rho61

62

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

in [22, §3].
If more than two large primes are allowed, the advantage of special purpose factoring algorithms pays off. Given a composite cofactor ci > L2i , we know that it can be smooth only
1/3
if it has at least three prime factors, of which at least one must be less than ci . If it has
no such small factor, the cofactor is not smooth, and its factorization is not actually required,as this (a, b) pair will be discarded. Hence an early-abort strategy can be employed that uses
special-purpose factoring algorithms until either a factor is found and the new cofactor can betested for smoothness, or after a number of factoring attempts have failed, the cofactor may be
assumed to be not smooth with high probability so that this (a, b) pair can be discarded.
Suitable candidates for factoring algorithms for this purpose are the P–1 method, the P+1
method, and the Elliptic Curve Method (ECM). All have in common that a prime factor p isfound if the order of some group defined over Fp is itself smooth. A beneficial property is thatfor ECM, and to a lesser extent for P+1, parameters can be chosen so that the group order has
known small factors, making it more likely smooth. This is particularly effective if the prime
factor to be found, and hence the group order, is small, see Chapter 5.
Although the P–1 and P+1 methods by themselves have a relatively poor asymptotic algebraic√
complexity in O( p) (assuming an asymptotically fast stage 2 as described in Chapter 2), theyfind surprisingly many primes in far less time, making them useful as a first quick try to eliminate
easy cases before ECM begins. In fact, P–1 and P+1 may be viewed as being equivalent to lessexpensive ECM attempts (but also less effective, due to fewer known factors in the group order).
Another well-known special-purpose factoring algorithm is Pollard’s “Rho” method [81] whichlooks for a collision modulo p in an iterated pseudo-random function
p modulo N , where p is aprime factor of N we hope to find. When choosing no less than 2 log(2)n + 0.28 integers
uniformly at random from [1, n], the probability of choosing at least one integer more thanonce is at least 0.5, well known as the Birthday Paradox which states that in a group of only 23
people, two share a birthday with more than 50% probability.
For the Rho method, the expected√ 
number of iterations to find a prime factor p is in O p , and in the case of Pollard’s original√algorithm, the average number of iterations for primes p around 230 is close to 215 ≈ p, where
each iteration takes three modular squarings and a modular multiplication, for an average of≈ 130000 modular multiplications when counting squarings as multiplications. Brent [14] gives
an improved iteration which reduces the number of multiplications by about 25% on average.
We will see that a combination of P–1, P+1, and ECM does better on average.
Furthermore, trying the Pollard-Rho method with only a low number of iterations before
moving on to other factoring algorithms has a negligible probability of success — among the4798396 primes in [230 , 230 +108 ], only 3483 are found with at most 1000 iterations of the original
Pollard-Rho algorithm with pseudo-random map x 7→ x2 + 1 and starting value x0 = 2. For P–1,
there are 1087179 primes p in the same range where the largest prime factor of p − 1 does notexceed 1000, and exponentiatingby the product of all primes and prime powers up to B requires√ 
only B/ log(2) + O B ≈ 1.44B squarings, compared to 4 multiplications per iteration forthe original Pollard-Rho algorithm. By using a stage 2 for P–1, its advantage increases further.
Figure 4.1 shows the distribution of the largest prime factor of p − 1 and the required number of
Pollard-Rho iterations for finding p, respectively, for primes p in [230 , 230 + 108 ]. The distributionof the largest prime factor of p+1 is identical to that of p−1, up to statistical noise. We conclude
that unlike P–1 and P+1, the Pollard-Rho method is not suitable for removing “easy pickings.”
This chapter describes an implementation of trial division for composites of a few machinewords, as well as the P–1, P+1, and Elliptic Curve Method of factorization for small compositesof one or two machine words, aimed at factoring cofactors as occur during the sieving phase of4.2. Trial Division

63

40000

40000
Pollard rho
p-1

30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000

Pollard rho
p-1

35000
Number of primes

Number of primes

35000

30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000

0

0
0

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
n

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90 100nFigure 4.1: Number of primes p in 230 , 230 + 108 where the largest prime factor of p − 1,
respectively the number of Pollard-Rho iterations to find p, is in [100n, 100n + 99], n ∈ N. The
left graph shows 0 ≤ n ≤ 1000, the right graph shows a zoom on 0 ≤ n ≤ 100.
the Number Field Sieve. It is part of the CADO [45] implementation of the NFS.

4.2

Trial Division

Before factoring of the non-sieved cofactor of the polynomial values into large primes can commence, the cofactor needs to be determined by dividing out all the factor base primes. For
medium size factor base primes, say larger than a few hundred or a few thousand, a sieving
technique (”re-sieving”) can be used again that stores the primes when re-sieving hits a location
previously marked as ”likely smooth.” For large factor base primes, say larger than a few ten
thousand, the number of hits in the sieve area is small enough that the primes can be stored
during the initial sieving process itself. For the smallest primes, however, re-sieving is inefficient,and a trial division technique should be used. This section examines a fast trial division routine, based on ideas by Montgomery and Granlund [50] [70], that precomputes several values per
candidate prime divisor to speed up the process.

4.2.1

Trial Division Algorithm

Given many composite integers Ni , 0 ≤ i < n, we want to determine which primes from someset P = {pj , 0 ≤ j < k} of small odd primes divide each Ni . We assume n ≫ k. Each Ni is aP
multi-word integer of up to ℓ + 1 words, Ni = ℓj=0 ni,j β j , where β is the machine word base(e.g., β = 232 or β = 264 ) and ℓ is on the order of ”a few,” say ℓ ≤ 4. For jeach kprime p ∈ P , we.
precompute wj = β j mod p for 1 ≤ j ≤ ℓ, pinv = p−1 (mod β) and plim = β−1pPℓConsider a particular integer N = j=0 nj β j , and a particular prime p ∈ P . The algorithm
first does a semi-reduction modulo p to obtain a single-word integer congruent to N (mod p),then tests this single-word integer for divisibility by p.
P
To do so, we compute r = n0 + ℓj=1 nj wj ≤ (β − 1)(ℓ(p − 1) + 1). To simplify the nextq
steps, we require p < βℓ . Even for β = 232 , ℓ = 4, this gives p < 32768 which is easily sufficientfor trial division in NFS.

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

64√With this bound on p, we have r < (β−1)( βℓ−ℓ+1). We then decompose
q r into
 r = r1 β+r0 ,√√√βwhere 0 ≤ r0 < β. This implies r1 < βℓ, and r1 w1 ≤ r1 (p − 1) < βℓℓ − 1 = β − βℓ.

The algorithm then does another reduction step by s = r1 w1 + r0 . We would like s =step t = s0 + s1 w1 < β produces a one-word result.
s1 β + s0 < 2β − p, so√that a final reduction√
Since r1 (p − 1) < β − βℓ, s < 2β − βℓ − 1 < 2β − p. Since s1 is either 0 or 1, the multiplication
and addition in s0 + s1 w1 is really just a conditional addition.
Now we have a one-word integer t which is divisible by p if and only if N is. To determine
whether p | t, we use the idea from [50, §9] to compute u = tp−1 mod β, using the precomputed
pinv = p−1 (mod β). If p | t, t/p is an jinteger <kβ and so the modular arithmetic mod β must
+ 1 multiples of p (including 0) less than β, under
produce the correct u = t/p. There are β−1
hpjki
division by p these map to the integers 0, . . . , β−1. Since p is coprime to β, multiplicationp−1
byhj p k (mod β) isi a bijective map, so all non-multiples of p must map to the remaining integers
β−1+ 1, β − 1 . Hence the test for divisibility can be done by a one-word multiplication bypjk
the precomputed constant pinv , and one comparison to the precomputed constant plim = β−1
.
p

4.2.2

Implementation

The algorithm is quite simple to implement on an x86 CPU, which offers the two-word productof two one-word arguments by a single MUL instruction. It might run as shown in Algorithm 6,
where x1 , x0 are registers that temporarily hold two-word products. A pair of registers holding
a two-word value r1 β + r0 is written as r1 : r0 . The values r0,1 , s0,1 , and t0 can all use the sameregisters, written r0,1 here. The loop over j should be unrolled.
Input: LengthℓP
N = ℓi=0 ni β i ,q
0 ≤ ni < β

Odd prime p < βℓwj = β j mod p for 1 ≤ j ≤ ℓpinv = pj−1 modk β
β−1plim = p
Output: 1 if p | N , 0 otherwise
r0 := n0 ;r1 := 0;for j := 1 to ℓ do
x1 : x0 := nj · wj ;r1 : r0 := r1 : r0 + x1 : x0 ;x0 := r1 · w1 ;r0 := (r0 + x0 ) mod β;
if last addition set carry flag thenr0 := (r0 + w1 ) mod β;
r0 := (r0 · pinv ) mod β;
if r0 ≤ plim thenreturn 1;
else
return 0;
Algorithm 6: Pseudo-code for trial division of numbers of up to ℓ + 1 words.

4.2. Trial Division

65

This code uses ℓ multiplications of two words to a two-word product. These multiplications
are independent of one another, so they can overlap on a CPU with pipelined multiplier. On an
Athlon64, Opteron, and Phenom CPUs, a multiplication can start every 2 clock cycles, the low
word of the product is available after 4 clock cycles, the high word after 5 clock cycles. Thus incase of ℓ = 4, the latency for the first 4 products and building their sum should be 12 cycles.
The two remaining multiplies, the additions and conditional moves should be possible in about
11 cycles, giving a theoretical total count of about 23 clock cycles for trial dividing a 5 word
integer by a small prime. Data movement from cache may introduce additional latency.

4.2.3

Use in NFS

Given a sieve region of size s with every d-th entry a sieve report, trial dividing by the prime pfor all sieve reports has cost O(s/d), while resieving has cost O(rs/p), where r is the number ofroots modulo p the sieved polynomial has. Hence whether trial division or resieving is preferablepp, where those p with dr< c for some threshold c should use trial division.
will depend on dr
As primes are divided out of N , the number of words in N may decrease, making the following
trial division faster. It might be worthwhile to try to reduce the size of N as quickly as possible.
The probability that a prime p divides N may be estimated as r/p, the size decrease as log(p), so
the probability that trial division by p will decrease the number of words in N may be estimatedas being proportional to r log(p)/p. For trial division, the candidate divisors p can be sorted sothat this estimate is decreasing. This probability estimate does not take into account the factthat N , being a sieve report, is likely smooth, and under this condition the probability that p
divides N increases by Bayes’ theorem, more so for larger p than for small ones.

4.2.4

Testing Several Primes at Once

Algorithm 6 reduces the input number to a one-word integer which is congruent to N (mod p),then tests divisibility by p of that one-word integer. It is possible to do the reduction step forcomposite candidate divisors q, then test divisibility of the resulting one-word integer for all
p | q. This way, for integers consisting of several words, the expensive reduction needs to bedone only once p
for each q, the relatively cheap divisibility test for each p. This is attractive if
the bound q < β/ℓ is not too small. With w = 264 , ℓ = 4, we can use q < 2147483648, whichallows for several small primes in q. For integers N with a larger number of words, it may be
worthwhile to introduce an additional reduction step (for example, using Montgomery’s REDC
for a right-to-left reduction) to relax the bound on q to, e.g., q < w/ℓ, so that the number ofprimes in q can be doubled at the cost of only two additional multiplies. In NFS, if the primes
found by re-sieving have been divided out already before trial division begins, the Ni may not
be large enough to make this approach worthwhile.

4.2.5

Performance of Trial Division

To measure the performance of the trial division code, we divide 107 consecutive integers of
1, . . . , 5 words by the first n = 256, 512, 1024, and 2048 odd primes on a 2 GHz AMD PhenomCPU, see Figure 4.1. The higher timings per trial division for n = 256 are due to the additional
cost of dividing out found divisors, which has a greater relative contribution for smaller primes
which divide more frequently. The timing for ℓ = 4, n = 2048 is close to the predicted 23 clock
cycles. The sudden increase for n = 2048 in the case of N with one word is due to caching: with
7 stored values (p, pinv , plim , w1,...,4 ) of 8 bytes each, n = 2048 has a table of precomputed valuesof size 112KB, which exceeds the level-1 data cache size of 64KB of the Phenom. For largeChapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

66

n
256
512
1024
2048

1
6.8 (2.6)
11.3 (2.2)
21.3 (2.1)
85.4 (4.1)

Number of words in N
2
3
4
15.3 (6.0)
20.8 (8.1)
27.5 (10.7)
28.2 (5.5)
38.8 (7.6)
52.0 (10.2)
54.9 (5.4)
75.9 (7.4)
102.0 (10.0)
108.4 (5.3) 149.8 (7.3) 200.8 (9.8)

5
32.4 (12.6)
61.32 (12.0)
120.7 (11.8)
237.8 (11.6)

Table 4.1: Time in seconds for trial division of 107 consecutive integers by the first n odd primes
on a 2 GHz AMD Phenom CPU. Time per trial division in nanoseconds in parentheses.
sets of candidate primes, the sequential passes through the precomputed data cause frequent
misses in the level-1 cache, and the trial divisions for N of only one word are fast enough thattransfer rate from the level-2 cache limits the execution. This could be avoided by computing
fewer wi constants (i.e., choosing a smaller ℓ) if the N are known to be small, or storing the wi
in separate arrays rather than interleaved, so that the wi for larger i do not occupy cache while
the N processed are small. Since the value of p is not actually needed during the trial division,
it is possible to avoid storing it and recomputing it, e.g., from pinv when it needs to be reported
as a divisor.

4.3

Modular Arithmetic

The modular arithmetic operations are relatively inexpensive when moduli and residues of only
a few machine words are considered, and should be implemented in a way that lets the compiler
perform in-lining of simple arithmetic functions to avoid unnecessary function call overhead
and data movement between registers, memory and stack due to the calling conventions of thelanguage and architecture. Many simple arithmetic operations can be implemented easily andefficiently using assembly language, but are cumbersome to write in pure C code, especially if
multi-word products or carry propagation are involved. The GNU C compiler offers a very flexible
method of injecting assembly code into C programs, with an interface that tells the compiler all
constraints on input and output data of the assembly block so that it can perform optimizationon the code surrounding the assembly statements. By defining some commonly used arithmetic
operations in assembly, much of the modular arithmetic can be written in C, letting the compiler
handle register allocation and data movement. The resulting code is usually not optimal, butquite usable. For the most time-critical operations, writing hand-optimized assembly code offers
an additional speed improvement.
For the present work, modular arithmetic for moduli of 1 machine word and of 2 machinewords with the two most significant bits zero is implemented.

4.3.1

Assembly Support

To give an example of an elementary function that is implemented with the help of some assembly
code, we examine modular addition with a modulus of 1 machine word. This is among the most
simple operations possible, but useful as an example.
Let a “reduced residue” with respect to a positive modulus m mean an integer representative
0 ≤ r < m of the residue class r (mod m). Modular addition of two reduced residues can be4.3. Modular Arithmetic
defined as(a + b) mod m =67(

a + b − m if a + b − m ≥ 0
a+botherwise.

If any modulus m < β is permitted, where β is the machine word base, then the problem thata + b might overflow the machine word arises. One could test for this case, then test if a + b ≥ m,and subtract m if either is true, but this necessitates two tests. With a slight rearrangement, we
can do with one:
1 r := a + b;
2 s := a − m;
3 t := s + b;
4 if last addition set carry flag then5
r := t;All arithmetic in this code is assumed modulo the word base β, i.e., the integers in r, s, and t
are reduced residues modulo β. In line 2, since a is reduced modulo m, the subtraction a − mnecessarily produces a borrow, so that s = a − m + β. In line 3, if s + b < β, then this addition
does not produce a carry, and t = a + b − m + β < β, i.e., a + b − m < 0. If s + b ≥ β, the addition
does produce a carry, and 0 ≤ t = s + b − β = a + b − m. Hence t is the proper result if and only
if a carry occurs in line 3, to make up for the borrow of line 2. Lines 1 and 2 are independentand can be executed in parallel, leading to a dependent chain of length 3. We require a < m forcorrectness, if b ≥ m, the result still satisfies r ≡ a + b (mod m) and r < b, but not necessarilyr < m.
The implementation in C with a GCC x86 assembly block shown below. The value of s,
shown separately for clarity above, is stored in t here.
r = a + b;t = a - m;__asm__ ("add %2, %1\n\t"/* t := t + b */"cmovc %1, %0\n\t" /* if (carry) r := t */: "+r" (r), "+&r" (t): "g" (b): "cc");
The computation of the initial t and r are done in C, to give the compiler some schedulingfreedom. Since C does not provide direct access to the carry flag, the addition t := t + b andthe following conditional assignment are done in assembly. The constraints on the data passed
to the assembly block state that the values of r and t must reside in registers ("r") since thetarget of the conditional move instruction cmovc must be a register, and at least one of source ortarget of the addition instruction add must be a register. We allow the variable b to be passed
in a register, in memory or as an immediate operand ("g", “general” constraint, for x86_64 thecorrect constraint is "rme" since immediate constants are only 32 bit wide), which is the source
operand to the add instruction. The "+" modifier tells that the values in r and t will be modified,
and the "&" modifier tells that t may be modified before the end of the assembly block and thus
no other input variable should be passed in the register assigned to t, even if their values are
known to be identical. Finally, "cc" tells the compiler that the values of the flags register may
change. These constraints provide the information the compiler needs to be able to use theChapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

68assembly block correctly, while leaving enough flexibility that it can optimize register allocationand data movement, compared to, e.g., compilers that require all parameters to assembly blocks
in a fixed set of registers.
An alternative solution is to compute r := b − (m − a) and adding m if the outer subtraction
produced a borrow. However, this requires a conditional addition rather than a conditional move.
Similar to the modular addition, various functions such as modular subtraction and multiplication for one and two-word moduli, two-word addition, subtraction, multiplication and binary
shift, and division with a two-word dividend (used, for example, for preparing a residue for use
with REDC modular reduction with a two-word modulus, see 4.3.2) are written as functions
with assembly support. As optimization effort progresses, more time-critical functions currently
written in C with assembly macros will be replaced by dedicated assembly code.

4.3.2

Modular Reduction with REDC

Montgomery presented in [64] a method for fast modular reduction. Given an integer 0 ≤ a <βm, for odd modulus m of one machine word and machine word base β (here assumed a powerof 2), and a precomputed constant minv = −m−1 mod β, it computes an integer 0 ≤ r < mwhich satisfies rβ ≡ a (mod m). It does so by computing the minimal non-negative tm suchthat a + tm ≡ 0 (mod β), to make use of the fact that division by β is very inexpensive. Sincet < β, (a + tm)/β < 2m, and at most one final subtraction of m ensures r < m. He calls thealgorithm that carries out this reduction “REDC,” shown in Algorithm 7.
Input: m, the modulusβ, the word basea < βm, integer to reduceminv < β such that mminv ≡ −1 (mod β)
Output: r < m with rβ ≡ a (mod m)t := a · minv mod β;
r := (a + t · m)/β;
if r ≥ m thenr := r − m;
Algorithm 7: Algorithm REDC for modular reduction with one-word modulus. All variables
take non-negative integer values.
The reduced residue output by this algorithm is not in the same residue class mod m as
the input, but the residue class gets multiplied by β −1 (mod m) in the process. To prevent
accumulating powers of β −1 (mod m) and having unequal powers of β when, e.g., adding orcomparing residues, any residue modulo m is converted to Montgomery representation first, by
multiplying it by β and reducing (without REDC) modulo m, i.e., the Montgomery representationof a residue a (mod m) is aβ (mod m). This way, if two residues in Montgomery representationaβ (mod m) and bβ (mod m) are multiplied and reduced via REDC, then REDC(aβbβ) ≡ abβ(mod m) is the product in Montgomery representation. This ensures the exponent of β in theresidues always stays 1, and so allows addition, subtraction, and equality tests of residues inMontgomery representation. Since β ⊥ m, we also have aβ ≡ 0 (mod m) if and only if a ≡ 0
32
64(mod m), and gcd(aβ,m) = gcd(a, m). Since β = 2 or 2 is an integer square, the Jacobiaβ asymbol satisfies m = m .
For moduli m of more than one machine word, say m < β k , a product of two reduced residues
may exceed β, but is below mβ k . The reduction can be carried out in two ways: one essentially4.3. Modular Arithmetic

69


performs the one-word REDC reduction k times, performing O k 2 one-word multiplies, theother replaces arithmetic modulo β in REDC by arithmetic modulo β k , performing O(1) kword multiplications. In either case, a full reduction with (repeated one-word or a single multiword) REDC divides the residue class of the output by β k , and the conversion to Montgomery
representation must multiply by β k accordingly. The former method has lower overhead andis preferable for small moduli, the latter can use asymptotically fast multiplication algorithms
if the modulus is large. As in our application the moduli are quite small, no more than two
machine words, we use the former method.
Before modular arithmetic with REDC for a particular m can begin, the constant minv needs
to be computed. If β is a power of 2, Hensel lifting makes this computation very fast. To speed
it up further, we try to guess an approximation to minv so that a few least significant bits arecorrect, thus saving a few Newton iterations. The square of any odd integer is congruent to 1
(mod 8), so minv ≡ m (mod 8). The fourth bit of minv is equal to the binary exclusive-or of
the second, third, and fourth bit of m, but on many microprocessors an alternative suggestion
from Montgomery [72] is slightly faster: (3m) XOR 2 gives the low 5 bits of minv correctly.
Each Newton iteration x 7→ 2x − x2 m doubles the number of correct bits, so that with either
approximation, 3 iterations for β = 232 or 4 for β = 264 suffice.
Converting residues out of Montgomery representation can be performed quickly with REDC,
but converting them to Montgomery representation requires another modular reduction algorithm. If such conversions are to be done frequently, it pays to precompute ℓ = β 2 mod m, sothat REDC(aℓ) = aβ mod m allows using REDC for the purpose.
In some cases, the final conditional subtraction of m in REDC can be omitted. If a < m,then a + tm < mβ since t < β, so r = (a + tm)/β < m which can be used when converting
residues out of Montgomery form, or when division by a power of 2 modulo m is desired.

4.3.3

Modular Inverse

To compute a modular inverse r ≡ a−1 (mod m) for a given reduced residue a and odd modulus
m with a ⊥ m, we use a binary extended Euclidean algorithm. Modular inverses are used at the
beginning of stage 2 for the P–1 algorithm, and for initialisation of stage 1 of ECM (except fora select few curves which have simple enough parameters that they can be initialised using only
division by small constants). Our code for a modular inverse takes about 0.5µs for one-wordmoduli, which in case of P–1 with small B1 and B2 parameters accounts for several percent of
the total run-time, showing that some optimization effort is warranted for this function.
The extended Euclidean algorithm solves
ar + ms = gcd(a, m)
for given a, m by initialising e0 = 0, f0 = 1, g0 = m and e1 = 1, f1 = 0, g1 = a, and computing
sequences ei , fi and gi that maintainaei + mfi = gi

(4.1)

where gcd(a, m) | gi and the gi are strictly decreasing until gi = 0. The original Euclidean
i−2
⌋ and
algorithm uses gi = gi−2 mod gi−1 , that is, in each step we write gi = gi−2 − gi−1 ⌊ ggi−1
gi−2
gi−2
likewise ei = ei−2 − ei−1 ⌊ gi−1 ⌋ and fi = fi−2 − fi−1 ⌊ gi−1 ⌋, so that equation (4.1) holds for eachi. If n is the smallest i such that gi = 0, then gn−1 = gcd(a, m), s = fn−1 , and r = en−1 . Since
we only want the value of r = en−1 , we don’t need to compute the fi values. We can write

70

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

u = ei−1 , v = ei , x = gi−1 , y = gi and for i = 1 initialise u = 0, v = 1, x = m, and y = a. Theneach iteration i 7→ i + 1 is computed by(u, v, x, y) := (v, u − ⌊x/y⌋v, y, x − ⌊x/y⌋y).
At the first iteration where y = 0, we have r = u and x = 1 if a and m were indeed coprime.
A problem with this algorithm is the costly computation of ⌊x/y⌋ as integer division is usuallyslow. The binary extended Euclidean algorithm avoids this problem by using only subtraction
and division by powers of 2. Our implementation is inspired by code written by Robert Harley
for the ECCp-97 challenge and is shown in Algorithm 8. The updates maintain ua ≡ −x2t(mod m) and va ≡ y2t (mod m) so that when y = 1, we have r = v2−t = a−1 (mod m).
Input: Odd modulus m
Reduced residue a (mod m)
Output: Reduced residue r (mod m) with ar ≡ 1 (mod m), or failure if gcd(a, m) > 1
if a = 0 thenreturn failure;t := Val2 (a);u := 0; v := 1; x := m; y := a/2t ;while x 6= y doℓ := Val2 (x − y);if x < y then(u, v, x, y, t) := (u2ℓ , u + v, x, (y − x)/2ℓ , t + ℓ);else(u, v, x, y, t) := (u + v, v2ℓ , (x − y)/2ℓ , y, t + ℓ);
if y 6= 1 thenreturn failure;r := v2−t mod m;
Algorithm 8: Binary extended GCD algorithm.

/* 2t || a *//* 2ℓ || x − y */In each step we subtract the smaller of x, y from the larger, so they are decreasing andnon-negative. Neither can become zero as that implies x = y in the previous iteration, which
terminates the loop. Since both are odd at the beginning of each iteration, their difference iseven, so one value decreases by at least a factor of 2, and the number of iterations is at most
log2 (am). In each iteration, uy + vx = m, and since x and y are positive, u, v ≤ m so that no
overflow occurs with fixed-precision arithmetic.
To perform the modular division r = v/2ti , we can use REDC. While t ≥ log2 (β), we replace
REDC tov := REDC(v) and t := t − log2 (β). Then, if t > 0, we perform a variable-width ttt
divide by 2 rather than by β by computing r = v + (vminv ) mod 2 m /2 with mminv ≡ −1(mod β). Since v < m, we don’t need a final subtraction in these REDC.
If the residue a whose inverse we want is given in Montgomery representation aβ k mod mwith k-word modulus m, we can use REDC 2k times to compute aβ −k mod m, then compute the−1modular inverse to obtain the inverse of a in Montgomery representation: a−1 β k ≡ aβ −k(mod m). This can be simplified by using the fact that the binary extended GCD computesv = a−1 2t . If we know beforehand that t ≥ log2 β, we can skip divisions by β via REDC both
before and after the binary extended GCD. Let the function t(x, y) give the value of t at the4.4. P–1 Algorithm71

end of Algorithm 8 for coprime inputs x, y. It satisfies0
if x = y (implies x = y = 1),t(x/2, y) + 1 if x 6= y, 2 | x,t(x, y) =t(x − y, y)
if x > y, 2 ∤ x,t(y, x)
if x < y, 2 ∤ x.

Assuming y odd, case 3 is always followed by case 2, and we can substitute case 3 by t(x, y) =t((x − y)/2, y) + 1. We compare the decrease of the sum x + y and the increase of t. In case 2,(x+y) 7→ x/2+y > (x+y)/2, and t increases by 1. In the substituted case 3, (x+y) 7→ (x+y)/2,
and t increases by 1. We see that whenever x + y decreases, t increases, and whenever t increases
by 1, x + y drops by at most half, until x + y = 2. Hence t(x, y) ≥ log2 (x + y) − 1, and thereforet(x, y) ≥ log2 (y), since x > 0.
Thus in case of k-word moduli β k−1 < m < β k , we have t(x, m) ≥ (k − 1) log2 (β) for any
positive x, so using aβ −1 (mod m) as input to the binary extended GCD is sufficient to ensurethat at the end we get a−1 β ≡ v2−t (mod m), or a−1 β k ≡ v2−t+(k−1) log2 (β) (mod m) and thedesired result a−1 β k can be obtained from v2−t with a division by 2t−(k−1) log2 (β) via REDC.

4.3.4

Modular Division by Small Integers

Initialisation of P+1 and ECM involves division of residues by small integers such as 3, 5, 7, 11,
13 or 37. These can be carried out quickly by use of dedicated functions. To compute r ≡ ad−1
(mod m) for a reduced residue a withd ⊥ m, we first compute t = a + km, with k such thatt ≡ 0 (mod d), i.e., k = a −m−1 mod d, where −m−1 mod d is determined by look-up in aprecomputed table for the d − 1 possible values of m mod d.
For one-word moduli, the resulting integer t can be divided by d via multiplication by theprecomputed constant dinv ≡ d−1 (mod β). Since t/d < m < β is an integer, the result r =tdinv mod β produces the correct reduced residue r. This implies that computing t modulo β issufficient.
For two-word moduli, we can choose an algorithm depending on whether m and d are large
enough that t may overflow two machine words or not. In either case, we may write t = t1 β + t0
with 0 ≤ t0 < β, 0 ≤ t1 < dβ and r = r1 β + r0 with 0 ≤ r0 , r1 < β, and can computer0 = t0 dinv mod β.
If t does not overflow, we may write t = t′′ + t′ dβ, 0 ≤ t′′ < dβ, where d | t′′ . Thenr = t/d = t′ β + t′′ /d with t′′ /d < β, so we can compute r1 = ⌊t1 /d⌋. The truncating division by
the invariant d can be implemented by the methods of [50]. An advantage of this approach isthat the computation of the low word r0 from t0 is independent of the computation of the highword r1 from t1 .
If t may overflow two machine words, we can compute r0 as before, and use that t − dr0 is
divisible by dβ, so we may write r1 β + r0 ≡ t/d (mod β 2 ) as r1 ≡ (t − dr0 )/β · dinv (mod β).

4.4

P–1 Algorithm

The P–1 algorithm is described in Section 2.2. We recapitulate some elementary facts here. The
first stage of P–1 computes
x1 = xe0 mod N
for some starting value x0 6≡ 0, ±1 (mod N ) and a highly composite integer exponent e. By
Fermat’s little theorem, if p − 1 | e for any p | N , then x1 ≡ 1 (mod p) and p | gcd(x1 − 1, N ).

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

72This condition is sufficient but not necessary: it is enough (and necessary) that ordp (x0 ) | e,where ordp (x0 ) is the order of x0 in F∗p . To maximise the probability that ordp (x0 ) | e for a given
size of e, we could choose e to contain all primes and prime powers that divide ordp (x0 ) withprobability better than some bound 1/B1 . One typically assumes that a prime power q k divides
ordp (x0 ) with probability q −k , so that e is taken as the product of all primes and prime powers
not exceeding B1 , or e = lcm(1, 2, 3, 4, . . . , B1 ). The choice of e is described in more detail in
Chapter 5.
The value of e is precomputed and passed to the P–1 stage 1 routine, which basically consists
only of a modular exponentiation, a subtraction and a gcd. The base x0 for the exponentiation ischosen as 2; in a left-to-right binary powering ladder, this requires only squarings and doublings,
where the latter can be performed quickly with an addition instead of a multiplication by x0 .
To reduce the probability that all prime factors of N (i.e., N itself) are found simultaneously
and reported as a divisor at the end of stage 1, only the odd part of e is processed at first,
and then the factors of 2 in e one at a time by successive squarings. After each one we checkif the new residue is 1 (mod N ), indicating that all prime factors of N have been found now,and if so, revert to the previous value to use it for the gcd. Unless the same power of 2 divides
ordp (x0 ) exactly for all primes p | N , then this will discover a proper factor. This backtracking
scheme is simple but satisfactorily effective: among 106 composite numbers that occurred during
an sieving experiment of the RSA155 number, each composite being of up to 86 bits and withprime factors larger than 224 , only 48 had the input number reported as the factor in P–1 stage 1
with B1 = 500. Without the backtracking scheme (i.e., processing the full exponentiation by e,then taking a GCD), 879 input numbers are reported as factors instead.
The second stage of P–1 can use exactly the same implementation as the second stage of
P+1, by passing X1 = x1 + x−1
1 to the stage 2 algorithm. The stage 2 algorithm for ECM is very
similar as well, and they are described together in Section 4.7.

4.4.1

P–1 Stage 1 Performance

Table 4.2 compares the performance of the P–1 stage 1 implementation for different B1 values
and modulus sizes on AMD Phenom and Intel Core 2 CPUs.

B1
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000

1 word
3.15
5.38
7.28
9.23
11.4
13.2
15.4
17.2
19.4
21.4

Core 2
2 words −2 bits
6.24
12.2
17.2
22.2
27.8
32.7
38.2
43.1
48.5
53.8

Phenom
1 word 2 words −2 bits
2.49
4.59
4.12
8.26
5.51
11.3
6.92
14.5
8.49
18.0
9.83
21.0
11.4
24.4
12.7
27.5
14.2
30.9
15.7
34.1

Table 4.2: Time in microseconds for P–1 stage 1 with different B1 values on 2.146 GHz Intel
Core 2 and 2 GHz AMD Phenom CPUs.

4.5. P+1 Algorithm

4.5

73

P+1 Algorithm

The P+1 algorithm is described in detail in Section 2.2. We recapitulate the basic algorithm
here.
The first stage of P+1 computes x1 = Ve (x0 ) mod N , where x0 ∈ Z/N Z is a parameter,Vn (x) is a degree-n Chebyshev polynomial defined by Vn (x + x−1 ) = xn + x−n , and e is a highly
composite integer chosen as for the P–1 method. These Chebyshev polynomials satisfy V0 (x) = 2,
V1 (x) = x, V−n (x) = Vn (x), Vmn (x) = Vm (Vn (x)), and Vm+n (x) = Vm (x)Vn (x) − Vm−n (x).
We  1 − 2, N ). If there is a prime p such that p | N and test for a factor by taking gcd(x∆2is the Legendre symbol, then p | gcd(x1 − 2, N ).
p − p | e, where ∆ = x0 − 4 and ∆p
Since Vn−m is required for computing Vn+m , these polynomials cannot be evaluated with asimple binary addition chain as in the case of the exponentiation in stage 1 of P–1. Instead, an
addition chain needs to be used that contains n − m whenever the sum n + m is formed from n
and m. These chains are described in Section 4.5.1.
The required addition chain for the stage 1 multiplier e is precomputed and stored as compressed byte code, see Section 4.5.2.
As for P–1, a backtracking scheme is used to avoid finding all factors of N and thus reporting
the input number as the factor found. Since factors of 2 in e can easily be handled by V2n (x) =V2 (Vn (x)) = Vn (x)2 − 2, they need not be stored in the precomputed addition chain, and canbe processed one at a time. Similarly as in stage 1 of P–1, we remember the previous residue,
process one factor of 2 of e, and if the result is 2 (mod N ), meaning that all factors of N havebeen found, we revert to the previous residue to take the GCD with N . Using the same 106
composite inputs as for P–1, P+1 with B1 = 500 reports 117 input numbers as factors withbacktracking, and 1527 without.
If stage 1 of P+1 is unsuccessful, we can try to find a factor yet by running stage 2, using as
input the output x1 of stage 1. Our stage 2 is identical for P–1 and P+1, and very similar for
ECM, and is described in Section 4.7.

4.5.1

Lucas Chains

Montgomery shows in [66] how to generate addition chains a0 , a1 , . . . , aℓ with a0 = 1 and lengthℓ such that for any 0 < i ≤ ℓ, there exist 0 ≤ s, t < i such that ai = as + at and as − at iseither zero, or is also present in the chain. He calls such chains “Lucas chains.” For example,
the addition chain 1, 2, 4, 5 is not a Lucas chain since the last term 5 can be generated only from4 + 1, but 4 − 1 = 3 is not in the chain. The addition chain 1, 2, 3, 5, however, is a Lucas chain.
For any positive integer n, L(n) denotes the length of an optimal (i.e., shortest possible) Lucas
chain that ends in n.
A simple but generally non-optimal way of generating such chains uses the reduction (n, n −1) 7→ (⌈n/2⌉, ⌈n/2⌉−1). We can compute Vn (x) and Vn−1 (x) from V⌈n/2⌉ (x), V⌈n/2⌉−1 (x), V1 (x) =x, and V0 (x) = 2. In the case of n even, we use Vn (x) = V⌈n/2⌉ (x)2 − V0 (x), and Vn−1 (x) =V⌈n/2⌉ (x)V⌈n/2⌉−1 (x) − V1 (x) and in the case of n odd, we use Vn = V⌈n/2⌉ (x)V⌈n/2⌉−1 (x) − V1 (x)and Vn−1 (x) = V⌈n/2⌉−1 (x)2 − V0 (x). The resulting chain allows processing the multiplier left-toright one bit at a time, and thus is called binary chain by Montgomery. Each bit in the multiplieradds two terms to the addition chain, except that when processing the final bit, only one of thetwo values needs to be computed, and if the two most significant bits (MSB) are 10b , the above
rule would compute V2 (x) twice of which one should be skipped. Any trailing zero bits can behandled by V2n (x) = Vn (x)2 − V0 (x) at the cost of 1 multiplication each. The length Lb (n2k ) forthe binary Lucas chain for a number n2k with n odd is therefore 2⌊log2 (n)⌋ − 1 + k if the twoChapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

74

MSB are 10b , or 2⌊log2 (n)⌋ + k if n = 1 or the two MSB are 11b . Examples are in Table 4.3.
It lists the binary chain, the length Lb (n) of the binary chain, an optimal chain, and the length
L(n) of an optimal chain, for odd n up to 15.
n
3 = 11b5 = 101b
7 = 111b
9 = 1001b
11 = 1011b
13 = 1101b
15 = 1111b

Binary chain
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3, 5
1, 2, 3, 4, 7
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 13
1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 15

Lb (n)
2
3
4
5
5
6
6

Optimal chain
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3, 5
1, 2, 3, 4, 7
1, 2, 3, 6, 9
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11
1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13
1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 15

L(n)
2
3
4
4
5
5
5

Table 4.3: Binary and optimal Lucas chains for small odd values n
The binary chain is very easy to implement, but produces non-optimal Lucas chains except forvery small multipliers. The smallest positive integer where the binary method does not produce
an optimal chain is 9, and the smallest such prime is 13. Montgomery shows that if n is a prime
but not a Fibonacci prime, an optimal Lucas chain for n has length L(n) ≥ r with r minimal√k−ksuch that n ≤ Fr+2
√ − Fr−3 , where Fk is the k-th Fibonacci number. Since Fk = (φ − φ )/ 5
where φ = (1 + 5)/2 is the Golden Ratio, this suggests that if this bound is tight, for large n
an optimal chain for n should be about 28% shorter than the binary chain.
In a Lucas chain a0 , a1 , . . . , aℓ of length ℓ, a doubling step ak+1 = 2ak causes all ai withk ≤ i ≤ ℓ to be multiples of ak , and all these terms ai are formed using sums and differences onlyof terms aj , k < j ≤ ℓ, see [66]. Such a doubling step corresponds to a concatenation of Lucas
chains. For composite n = n1 · n2 , a Lucas chain can be made by concatenating the chains of its
factors. E.g., for n = 15, we could multiply every entry in the chain 1, 2, 3, 5 by 3 and append it
to the chain 1, 2, 3 (omitting the repeated entry 3) to form the Lucas chain 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 15. Since
any Lucas chain starts with 1, 2, every concatenation introduces one doubling step, and every
doubling step leads to a chain that is the concatenation of two Lucas chains. Chains that are notthe concatenation of other chains (i.e., that contain no doubling step other than 1, 2) are called
simple chains. For prime n, only simple chains exist. In the case of binary Lucas chains, theconcatenated chain is never longer than the chain for the composite value and usually shorter,
so that forming a concatenated Lucas chain from chains of the prime factors of n (if known) isalways advisable. The same is not true for optimal chains, as shown below.
Optimal chains can be found by exhaustive search for a chosen maximal length lmax andmaximal end-value nmax . For odd n ≥ 3, a Lucas chain for n always starts with 1, 2, 3 since a
doubling step 2, 4 would produce only even values in the remainder of the chain. In the exhaustive
search, the Lucas chain a0 , . . . , ak can be extended recursively if k < ℓmax and ak < nmax byadding an element ak+1 > ak such that the resulting sequence is still a Lucas chain, i.e., satisfyingthat there are 0 ≤ i, j ≤ k such that either ak+1 = 2ai , or ak+1 = ai + aj and ai − aj is present
in the chain. For each chain so created, we check in a table of best known lengths whether thelength k + 1 is smaller than the previously known shortest length for reaching ak+1 , and if so,
update it to k + 1 and store the current chain as the best known for reaching ak+1 . By trying
all possible chain expansions, we are certain to find an optimal chain for every n ≤ nmax . This
recursive search is very time consuming due to a large number of combinations to try. To reacha worthwhile search depth, the possible chain extensions can be restricted. The last step of an
optimal chain is always al = aℓ−1 + aℓ−2 as otherwise one or both of aℓ−1 , aℓ−2 are obsolete, so

4.5. P+1 Algorithm

75

BinaryOptimalLower bound

26

Length of chain for p

24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

p

Figure 4.2: Length of binary and optimal Lucas chains for odd primes p in [100, 15000], and alower bound on the length for primes that are not Fibonacci primes. The graph for the boundis set 0.5 lower to make it visible. The Fibonacci prime 1597 is seen to undershoot this lower
bound.

the table of best known lengths needs to be checked and updated only after such an addition
step, and the final recursion level of the search needs to consider only this addition step. Any
doubling step ak+1 = 2ak causes the chain to become the equivalent of a concatenated chain,so during the recursive chain expansion, doubling steps need not be considered. Instead therecursive search produces only the optimal lengths of simple chains. Then for all possible pairs√
3 ≤ m ≤ n ≤ nmax , the length of the chain for mn is updated with the sum of the lengths ofchains for m and n, if the latter is shorter. This is repeated until no more improvements occur.
After the first pass, the optimal lengths of chains for all n where n has at most two prime factors
are known. After the second pass, for all n that contain at most three primes, etc., until after at
most O(log(nmax )) passes optimal lengths for all values are known. Using this search method,
the minimal lengths of Lucas chains for primes 100 < n < 10000 have been determined, shownin Figure 4.2. It compares the length of the binary Lucas chain, the optimal Lucas chain andthe lower bound on the length of Lucas chains for primes that aren’t Fibonacci primes. This
lower bound is quite tight, in the examined data L(n) does not exceed it by more than 1. The
Fibonacci prime 1597 can be seen to undershoot this lower bound (as do the smaller Fibonacci
primes, but they are difficult to see in the graph).
The exhaustive search method is extremely slow and useless for producing addition chains for
P+1 or ECM if large B1 values are desired. Montgomery [66] suggests the algorithm “PRAC,”
which produces Lucas chains based on GCD chains, noting that a subtractive GCD algorithm forn, r with n > r and n ⊥ r always produces a valid Lucas chain for n. However, the resulting Lucas
chain has length equal to the sum of the partial quotients in the continued fraction expansion ofn/(n − r), and if a large partial quotient appears, the resulting Lucas chain is unreasonably long.
He fixes this problem by introducing additional rules for reduction in the GCD chain (rather
than just replacing the larger of the two partial remainders by their absolute difference as in apurely subtractive GCD chain) to avoid situations where the quotient of the partial remainders
deviates too far from the Golden Ratio, yet satisfying the conditions for a Lucas chain. The

76

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

great advantage is that PRAC usually produces very good chains and does so rapidly. This way
it is feasible to try a few different suitable r for a given n, and for n in the range of interest for
P+1 and ECM, one usually discovers an optimal chain this way.
It remains the problem of choosing a suitable r ⊥ n to start the GCD chain, hoping to find a(near) optimal chain. Montgomery suggests trying r = n−⌊n/c⌉ for several irrational c such thatthe continued fraction expansion of c has small partial quotients. This way, the partial fraction
expansion of n/(n − r) starts with small partial quotients as well. Good choices are the golden
Ratio c0 = φ, whose partial quotients all are 1, or numbers with partial quotients all 1 except
for one or two 2 among the first 10 partial quotients. The resulting large number of multipliers
is not a problem if the Lucas chains are precomputed, but in cases where they are computed
on-the-fly during stage 1 of P+1 or ECM, a smaller set of multipliers should be used, say, only
those with at most one 2 among the first ten partial quotients.
Even with a large set of ci values to try, PRAC in the form given by Montgomery cannot
always obtain an optimal chain. The smallest example is n = 751 which has two Lucas chainsof optimal length L(751) = 14:
1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 12, 19, 24, 43, 67, 110, 177, 287, 464, 751 and
1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 68, 123, 191, 314, 437, 751.
Both chains involve an addition step that references a difference that occurred 5 steps before
the new term: for the former sequence in the step a8 = 43 = a7 + a6 = 24 + 19, with differencea7 − a6 = 5 = a3 , and for the latter sequence in the step a10 = 123 = a9 + a8 = 68 + 55, withdifference a9 − a8 = 13 = a5 . The original PRAC algorithm does not have any rule that allows
utilizing a difference that occurred more than 4 steps before the new term and so cannot findeither of these two chains. Another, similar case is n = 1087. For primes below 10000, I found40 cases where PRAC did not find an optimal chain. For the purpose of generating Lucas chainsfor P+1 and ECM, these missed opportunities at optimal chains are of no great consequence.
When using P+1 and ECM as a factoring subroutine in NFS, the B1 value is often less than 751
so that such cases do not occur at all, and if a greater B1 should be used, they occur so rarelythat adding more rules to PRAC so that optimal chains are found for all primes below B1 would
increase the code complexity of our P+1 or ECM stage 1, which implements each PRAC rule(see Section 4.5.2), for little gain. For our implementation, this was not deemed worthwhile. For
the purpose of finding optimal Lucas chains rapidly, it would be interesting to augment PRAC
with a suitable rule for the required addition step ak = ak−1 + ak−2 with ak−1 − ak−2 = ak−5 ,and testing which primes remain such that the modified PRAC cannot find optimal chains.
For composite n = pq, we trivially have L(n) ≤ L(p) + L(q), since we can concatenate thechain for p and the chain for q. In some cases, a shorter chain for the composite n exists thanfor the concatenated chains of its factors. The smallest example is 1219 = 23 · 53 which has
1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 18, 29, 47, 76, 123, 170, 293, 463, 756, 1219
as an optimal chain of length 15, while an optimal chain for 23 is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 14, 23 of length
7, and for 53 is 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 13, 20, 33, 53 of length 9.
Similarly, composite numbers n exist where PRAC with a certain set of multipliers finds achain for n that is shorter than the concatenated simple chains for the divisors of n. A problem
is that the starting pair n, r for the GCD sequence must be coprime, possibly making several
c multipliers ineligible for an n with small prime factors. Starting with a large enough set of
multipliers, usually enough of them produce coprime n and r that an optimal chain can befound, if one exists of a form suitable for PRAC. The example n = 1219 above is found, e.g.,with r = 882, using the multiplier 3 − Φ with continued fraction expansion //1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, . . . //.

4.5. P+1 Algorithm

4.5.2

77

Byte Code and Compression

In implementations of P+1 or ECM such as in GMP-ECM [103] that typically operates on
numbers of hundreds to ten-thousands of digits, or in the ECM implementation of Prime95 [102]that operates on number of up to several million digits, the cost of generating good Lucas chainson-the-fly during stage 1 is mostly negligible, except for P+1 on relatively small numbers of only
a few hundred digits. However, in an implementation of ECM and especially P+1 designed fornumbers of only a few machine words, the on-the-fly generation of Lucas chains would take anunacceptable part of the total run-time. Since in our application of using P+1 and ECM as afactoring sub-routine in NFS, identical stage 1 parameters are used many times over again, it
is possible to precompute optimized Lucas chains and process the stored chain during P+1 or
ECM stage 1.
This raises the question how the chain should be stored. Since the PRAC algorithm repeatedly
applies one of nine rules to produce a Lucas chain for a given input, an obvious method is tostore the sequence of PRAC rules to apply. The precomputation outputs a sequence of bytes
where each byte stores the index of the PRAC rule to use, or one of two extra indices for the
initial doubling resp. the final addition that is common to all (near-)optimal Lucas chains. Thisway, a byte code is generated that can be processed by an interpreter to carry out the stage 1
computations for P+1 or ECM. For each prime to include in stage 1, the corresponding byte
code is simply appended to the byte code, which results in a (long) concatenated Lucas chain
for the product of all stage 1 primes. If primes are to be included whose product is known tohave a better simple Lucas chain than the concatenation of the chains for the individual primes,
then their product should be passed to the byte-code generating function.
The byte code generated by PRAC is highly repetitive. For example, byte codes for the
PRAC chains for the primes 101, 103, 107, and 109 are
101 :
103 :
107 :
109 :

10, 3, 3, 0, 3, 3, 0, 5, 3, 3, 3, 11
10, 3, 0, 3, 3, 0, 3, 3, 0, 4, 3, 11
10, 3, 0, 3, 3, 0, 3, 0, 4, 3, 3, 3, 11
10, 3, 0, 3, 0, 1, 1, 3, 11

It is beneficial to reduce redundancy in the byte code to speed up stage 1. The byte code
interpreter that executes stage 1 must fetch a code byte, then call the program code that carries
out the arithmetic operations that implement the PRAC rule indicated by the code; thus there
is a cost associated with each code byte. If the interpreter uses a computed jump to the code
implementing each PRAC rule, there is also a branch misprediction each time a code byte isdifferent from the previous one, as current microprocessors typically predict computed jumps as
going to the same address as they did the previous time. Some PRAC rules frequently occur
together, such as rule 3 followed by rule 0, so that merging them may lead to simplificationsin the arithmetic. In particular, rules 11 (end of a simple chain) and 10 (start of a new simple
chain) always appear together, except at the very start and at the very end of the byte code.
These issues are addressed by byte code compression. A simple static dictionary coder greedily translates frequently observed patterns into new codes. The byte code interpreter implements
merged rules accordingly. For example, the byte code sequence "3, 0" (for an addition followed
by a swap of variable contents) occurs very frequently and may be translated to a new code,say 12, and the interpreter performs a merged addition and swap. The codes "11, 10" always
occur as a pair and can be substituted except at the very start and the very end of the bytecode,
but these two occurrences can be hard-coded into the interpreter, so they do not need to beconsidered individually at all.

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

78Since we often can choose among several different Lucas chains of equal length for a given
stage 1 prime by using different multipliers in PRAC, we can pick one that leads to the simplest
compressed code by compressing each candidate chain, and choosing the one that has the smallest
number of code bytes and code byte changes.
For comparison, without any compression or effort to reduce the number of code bytes orcode changes when choosing PRAC multipliers, the byte code for a stage 1 with B1 = 500
consists of 1487 code bytes and 1357 code changes, whereas even with the simple substitution
rules described above and careful choice of PRAC multipliers to minimize the number of code
bytes and code changes, only 554 code bytes with 435 code changes remain.

4.5.3

P+1 Stage 1 Performance

Table 4.4 compares the performance of the P+1 stage 1 implementation for different B1 values
and modulus sizes on AMD Phenom and Intel Core 2 CPUs.
B1
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000

1 word
4.04
7.50
10.3
13.4
16.6
19.5
22.8
25.7
28.9
32.0

Core 2
2 words −2 bits
8.44
17.3
24.6
32.5
40.7
48.0
56.6
64.0
72.4
80.4

1 word
3.45
6.32
8.69
11.2
14.0
16.4
19.1
21.5
24.2
26.7

Phenom2 words −2 bits
6.30
12.3
17.2
22.3
27.9
32.8
38.5
43.5
48.9
54.2

Table 4.4: Time in microseconds for P+1 stage 1 with different B1 values on 2.146 GHz Intel
Core 2 and 2 GHz AMD Phenom CPUs, using precomputed Lucas chains stored as compressedbyte code
For comparison, without using byte code compression or choosing the PRAC multipliers tominimize byte code length and number of code changes, on Core 2, P+1 stage 1 with 1 word
and B1 = 500 takes 20.4µs and so is about 22% slower, and with 2 words takes 50.4µs and so is
about 24% slower.

4.6

ECM Algorithm

The Elliptic Curve Method of factorization was introduced by H. W. Lenstra in 1987 [62].
Whereas P–1 works in the group F∗p of order p − 1 and P+1 in a subgroup of F∗p2 of orderp − 1 or p + 1, ECM works in the Mordell-Weil group of points on an elliptic curve defined overFp . By Hasse’s theorem, the number of points and therefore the order of the Mordell-Weil group√√of an elliptic curve over Fp is in [p + 1 − 2 p, p + 1 + 2 p]. The number of points on a particular
curve depends on both the curve parameters and the field. ECM finds a prime factor p of N if
the curve over Fp has smooth order; the advantage of ECM over previous algorithms such as P–1
and P+1 (which always work in a group of order p − 1 or p + 1) is that many different curves
can be tried, until one with sufficiently smooth order is encountered.

4.6. ECM Algorithm

79

Any elliptic curve E over a field K of characteristic neither 2 nor 3 can be defined by the
Weierstraß equationy 2 = x3 + ax + b.
(4.2)
This equation defines an elliptic curve if and only if the discriminant 4a3 + 27b2 does not vanish.
The set of points on E consists of the solutions (x, y) ∈ K 2 of (4.2), plus the point at infinity O.
The group addition law of two points on the curve is defined geometrically by putting astraight line through the two points (or, if the points are identical, the tangent of the curve inthat point), taking the line’s new intersection point with the curve and mirroring it at the x-axis.
Since the curve is symmetric around the x-axis, the mirrored point is on the curve, and is theresult. If the straight line is vertical, no new intersection point exists; in this case the point at
infinity is taken as the result. The point at infinity is the identity element of the group, adding
it to any point results in the same point. The inverse of a point is the point mirrored at thex-axis. This addition law on the points of an elliptic curve defines an Abelian group, see forexample [91].
The Weierstraß form of elliptic curves can be used for implementing ECM, but requires
a costly modular inverse in the computation of point additions. Montgomery [65] proposes analternative form of elliptic curve equation in projective coordinates so that its addition law avoids
modular inverses, while still keeping the number of required multiplications low. His curves areof form(4.3)
BY 2 Z = X(X 2 + AXZ + Z 2 ),with points (X : Y : Z) ∈ K 3 satisfying (4.3), where X, Y, Z are not all zero. Two points are
identical if (X2 : Y2 : Z2 ) = (kX1 : kY1 : kZ1 ) for some k ∈ K, k 6= 0. The point at infinity is
O = (0 : 1 : 0).
Not all elliptic curves over finite fields can be brought into form (4.3), but we may restrict our
ECM implementation to use only these curves. Montgomery describes an addition law for curvesof this form. Given two distinct points P1 and P2 , we can compute the X and Z-coordinatesof P1 + P2 from the X and Z-coordinates of P1 , P2 and P1 − P2 . Similarly, we can computethe X and Z-coordinates of 2P from the X and Z-coordinates of P and the curve parameters.
Surprisingly, the Y -coordinate is not needed in these computations, and can be ignored entirely
when using curves in Montgomery form for ECM, and points are commonly written as only
(X :: Z) with Y -coordinate omitted. The details of the addition law are found in [65, 10.3.1] or[67, 2.3].
This addition law requires that in order to form the sum of two points, their difference is
known or zero. This is reminiscent of the P+1 method where we need Vm−n (x) to computeVm+n (x) from Vm (x) and Vn (x), and the same Lucas chains used to compute Vk (x) for integer
k in P+1 can be used to compute the multiple kP of a point P on a curve in Montgomery form
in ECM.

4.6.1

ECM Stage 1

In stage 1 of ECM, we choose a suitable curve E of form (4.3) defined over Z/N Z, where N is
the integer we wish to factor. Naturally N is composite, so Z/N Z is a ring but not a field, but
this has little consequence for the arithmetic of the curve as the only operation that could fail isinversion of a ring element, and an unsuccessful inversion of a non-zero element in Z/N Z reveals
a proper factor of N which is the exact purpose of ECM. We often consider the curve Ep for aprime p | N , which is the curve E reduced modulo p, i.e., E over the field Fp .

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

80

We then choose a point P0 on E and compute P1 = e · P0 for a highly composite integer e,usually taken to be divisible by all primes and prime powers up to a suitably chosen value B1 ,i.e., e = lcm(1, 2, 3, 4, . . . , B1 ). We hope that for some prime factor p of N , the order of P0 on
Ep is B1 -smooth (and thus divides e), since then the point P1 on Ep will be the point at infinity(0 :: 0) so that P1 has Z-coordinate 0 (mod p) and p | gcd(PZ , N ).
To find a point P0 on E over Z/N Z, we choose a point of E over Q and map it to Z/N Z.
The point over Q must not be a torsion point, or P0 will have identical order on Ep for all p | N(unless p divides the order of P0 or the discriminant of E, which is unlikely except for small
primes) so that P1 is the point at infinity either for all Ep or for none, producing only the trivial
factorizations N or 1.
By careful selection of the curve E we can ensure that number of points of Ep is a multipleof 12 or 16, significantly increasing the probability that the order of P0 is smooth. The choice of
E is described in Section 4.6.2.
The computation of P1 = e · P0 on E is carried out by use of precomputed Lucas chains,similarly as in the P+1 algorithm. The selection of near-optimal Lucas chains for ECM is
described in Section 4.6.3.
If stage 1 of ECM is unsuccessful, we try stage 2 where we hope to find a prime p such thatthe order of P0 on Ep factors into primes and prime powers up to B1 , except for one bigger(but not too much bigger) prime q. Our stage 2 is very similar for P–1, P+1, and ECM and is
described in Section 4.7.

4.6.2

Choice of Curve

In a letter to Richard Brent, Hiromi Suyama [95] showed that curves of form (4.3) over Fp always
have group order divisible by 4, and also showed a parametrization that ensures that the grouporder is divisible by 12, which Brent describes in [16]. This parametrization generates an infinite
family of curves over Q which can be used to generate a large number of distinct curves modulo
N . For a given integer parameter σ 6= 0, 1, 3, 5, letu = σ 2 − 5, v = 4σ,3− 2.
X0 = u3 , Z0 = v 3 and A = (v−u)4u(3u+v)
3v

(4.4)

Then the point (X0 :: Z0 ) is on the curve (4.3) with parameter A. The same parametrization isused by GMP-ECM [103, 1] and Prime95 [102].
Montgomery showed in his thesis [67] how to choose curves of form (4.3) such that the curve
over Q has a torsion subgroup of order 12 or 16, leading to group order divisible by 12 or 16,
respectively, when the curve is mapped to Fp for almost all p.
For curves with rational torsion group of order 12 he uses
2

2

−12
, a = tt2 −1
t2 = u 4u+3
4 −6a2 +1,
X0 = 3a2 + 1, Z0 = 4a and A = −3a 4a
3

(4.5)

where u3 − 12u is a rational square. The solutions of v 2 = u3 − 12u form an elliptic curve ofrank 1 and 2-torsion over Q, with generator (−2, 4) and 2-torsion point (0, 0). However, adding
the torsion point or not seems to produce isomorphic curves for ECM, so we ignore it. Hencefor a given integer parameter k > 1 we can compute suitable values of u and v by computing
k · (−2, 4) on v 2 = u3 − 12u. We can then let t = v/(2u). This produces an infinite family of
curves over Q.

4.6. ECM Algorithm

81

Curves with torsion 16 and positive rank over Q are more difficult to generate, see [67,6.2] for details. We currently implement only one such curve with X0 = 8, Z0 = 15, andA = 54721/14400.
These parametrizations ensure that the group order is divisible by 12 or 16, respectively, but
the resulting group order of the curve over Fp does not behave like an integer chosen uniformly
at random from the integers that are multiples of 12 or 16, respectively, in the Hasse intervalaround p. In particular, the average valuation of 2 in the group order for curves with rational
torsion 12 is 11/3, slightly higher than 10/3 for curves in Brent-Suyama parametrization (whichhave rational torsion 6), making them somewhat more likely to find factors. The divisibility
properties will be examined in more detail in Chapter 5.
Very small σ-values for the Brent-Suyama parametrization lead to curves with simple rationals for the point coordinate and curve parameter, and very small k-values for Montgomery’s
parametrization for curves with rational torsion 12 lead to simple rationals for a, see Table 4.5.
These rationals can be mapped to Z/N Z easily, as the denominators are highly composite integers so that the required divisions modulo N can be done by the methods of Section 4.3.4 anda few multiplications.
When factoring cofactors after the sieving step of NFS into large primes, only very few curves
are required on average since the primes to be found are relatively small, and with an early-abort
strategy, only the first few curves work on larger composites where arithmetic is more expensive.
In spite of the small number of curves with such simple rationals as curve parameters, it is useful
to implement them as special cases.
σ
2
4

X0
−1
1331

Z0
512
4096

A
−3645/32
6125/85184

k
2
3

a
−3/13
28/37

X0
196/169
3721/1369

Z0−12/13
112/37

A−4798/351−6409583/3248896

Table 4.5: Some elliptic curves chosen by the Brent-Suyama parametrization with group orderdivisible by 12, and by Montgomery’s parametrization with rational torsion group of order 12.

4.6.3

Lucas Chains for ECM

In principle, Lucas chains for ECM can be chosen exactly as for P+1. However, a subtle difference
exists: in P+1, the cost of a doubling V2n (x) = Vn (x)2 − 2 is identical to that of an addition
Vm+n (x) = Vm (x)Vn (x) − Vm−n if Vm−n is known and a squaring is taken to have the same cost
as a multiplication. This way, the cost of a Lucas chain depends only on its length.
In ECM, the cost of a point doubling usually differs from the cost of an addition of distinct
points. In the addition rules given by Montgomery, a doubling takes 5 modular multiplicationsof which 2 are squarings, whereas an addition of distinct points takes 6 modular multiplicationsof which again 2 are squarings.
These different costs can be taken into account when choosing Lucas chains. For example, tomultiply a point by 7, we can choose between the chains 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 or 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 of equal length.
In the former, all additions except for the initial doubling 1, 2 are additions of distinct values.
In the latter, we can produce 4 by doubling 2, so that this Lucas chain would save 1 modular
multiplication in the elliptic curve arithmetic.

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

82When generating Lucas chains with PRAC using several multipliers, we can choose the best
chain not according to its length but by the cost of the arithmetic performed in each PRAC rulethat is used to build the chain.
The speedup in practice is relatively small: with two-word modulus, ECM stage 1 with
B1 = 500 is about 1% faster when counting the cost of a doubling as 5/6 of the count of anaddition when choosing Lucas chains. Still, this improvement is so simple to implement that it
may be considered worthwhile.
As for P+1, the precomputed addition chains are stored as byte code that describes a sequenceof PRAC rules to apply. Code compression may be used to reduce the overhead in the byte code
interpreter, but since the elliptic curve arithmetic is more expensive than in the case of P+1, therelative speedup gained by compression is much smaller.

4.6.4

ECM Stage 1 Performance

Table 4.6 compares the performance of the ECM stage 1 implementation for different B1 values
and modulus sizes on AMD Phenom and Intel Core 2 CPUs.
B1
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000

1 word
11.8
24.5
35.3
46.7
58.7
69.6
82.3
93.6
105
117

Core 2
2 words −2 bits
35.6
77.9
113
151
190
226
266
302
342
381

1 word
9.33
19.4
27.8
36.6
46.2
54.6
64.5
72.4
82.5
92.0

Phenom2 words −2 bits
24.4
52.6
76.0
101
127
151
178
202
229
255

Table 4.6: Time in microseconds for ECM stage 1 with different B1 values on 2.146 GHz Core 2
and 2 GHz AMD Phenom CPUs

4.7

Stage 2 for P–1, P+1, and ECM

Stage 1 of P–1, P+1, and ECM all compute an element g0e of some (multiplicatively written)
group G for a highly composite integer e, typically chosen as e = lcm(1, 2, 3, 4, . . . , B1 ) for some
integer B1 . If the order of g0 is B1 -smooth, then g1 = g0e is the identity in G. Since G is
defined over Fp where p divides N , the number to factor, we can construct from the identity in
G a residue r (mod N ) such that r ≡ 0 (mod p) but hopefully not r ≡ 0 (mod N ), and thengcd(r, N ) usually reveals p. If the order of g0 is not B1 -smooth, stage 1 fails to find p. However,
we may be able to find it yet if the order of g0 consists of a B1 -smooth part times a not-too-large
prime q.
Stage 2 of P–1, P+1, and ECM tries to find the value of q efficiently on the assumption thatq is prime and not very large, although larger than B1 , by looking for a match g1m = g1n which
occurs when q | m − n. We will describe the stage 2 for the P+1 algorithm; P–1 can use thesame algorithm by adjusting its stage 1 output, and the stage 2 for ECM is structurally very
similar. Differences between the P+1 and ECM stage 2 are noted.

4.7. Stage 2 for P–1, P+1, and ECM

83

Our stage 2 is modeled after the enhanced standard continuation described by Montgomery [65].
For given search limits B1 and B2 and input X1 it chooses a value d with 6 | d and computes
two listsfi = Vid (X1 ) mod N for ⌊B1 /d⌉ ≤ i ≤ ⌊B2 /d⌉ and

gj

(4.6)

= Vj (X1 ) mod N for 1 ≤ j < d/2 and j ⊥ d,

(4.7)

so that all primes q in ]B1 , B2 ] can be written as q = id − j or q = id + j.
Let X1 ≡ α1 + 1/α1 (mod N ), where α1 may be in a quadratic extension of Z/N Z, andassumeα1q ≡ 1 (mod p)(4.8)
for some unknown prime p, p | N and a prime q, B1 < q ≤ B2 . Let q = id − j or q = id + j.
Then, using V−n (X) = Vn (X), we have
Vid (X1 ) ≡ Vq±j (X1 ) ≡ α1q±j + 1/α1q±j≡ α1±j + 1/α1±j ≡ V±j (X1 ) ≡ Vj (X1 )(mod p)and soVid (X1 ) − Vj (X1 ) ≡ 0(mod p).

(4.9)

After the lists fi , gj are computed, we can collect the productA=Y

id±j=q
B1 <q≤B2(fi − gj ) mod N.

(4.10)

If there is a prime q in ]B1 , B2 ] such that (4.8) holds, the product (4.10) will include i, j suchthat (4.9) holds, and thus p | gcd(A, N ).
Stage 1 of P–1 computes x1 = xe0 (mod N ) and we can set X1 = x1 + 1/x1 to make the P–1
stage 1 output compatible with our stage 2 at the cost of one modular inverse. Stage 1 of P+1
computes x1 = Ve (x0 ) = Ve (α0 + 1/α0 ) = α0e + 1/α0e and we may simply set X1 = x1 .
j
For P–1 stage 2, we could also use fi = xid
1 mod N and gj = x1 mod N , for 1 ≤ j < dand j ⊥ d, instead of (4.6). An advantage of using (4.6) is that V−n (X) = Vn (X), so thatgj = Vj (X) mod N needs to be computed only for 1 ≤ j < d/2, and one (i, j)-pair can sometimes
(id)2

2

include two primes at once. The same could be achieved by using fi = x1
and gj = xj1 , but
22
computing these values for successive i or j via (x(n+1) , x2(n+1)+1 ) = (xn · x2n+1 , x2n+1 · x2 )costs two multiplications, whereas Vn+1 (x) = Vn (x)V1 (x) − Vn−1 (x) costs only one. However, amodular inverse is required to convert the P–1 stage 1 output into the required form. Whichapproach is better thus depends on the choice of stage 2 parameters, i.e., on how many values
need to be precomputed for the fi and gj lists. Assuming a small B1 , when using B2 ≈ 5000 and
d = 210, we need about 24 values for fi and another 24 for gj . The cost of a modular inverseis roughly 50 times the cost of a modular multiplication in our implementation, so the two
approaches are about equally fast. Using the same stage 2 for P–1 and P+1 has the advantageof requiring only one implementation for both methods.
For ECM, we again would like two lists fi and gj such that fi ≡ gj (mod p) if id · P1 = j · P1
on Ep , where P1 is the point that was output by ECM stage 1. We can use fi = (id · P1 )X , theX-coordinate of id · P1 , and gj = (jP1 )X . A point and its inverse have the same X-coordinate on
curves in Weierstraß and Montgomery form, so again we have fi − gj ≡ 0 (mod p) if q | id ± j.

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

84

With points in projective coordinates, the points need to be canonicalized first to ensure that
identical points have identical X-coordinates, which is described in Section 4.7.2.
How to choose the parameter d and the set (i, j)-pairs needed during stage 2 for given B1
and B2 values is described in Section 4.7.1. Section 4.7.2 shows how to compute the lists fi andgj efficiently, and Section 4.7.3 describes how to accumulate the product (4.10).

4.7.1

Generating Plans

The choice of d, the sets of i and j values to use for generating fi and gj , respectively, and the setof (i, j)-pairs for which to accumulate the product of fi −gj depend on the B1 and B2 parameters
for stage 2, but are independent of N , the number to factor. These choices are precomputed forgiven B1 and B2 and are stored as a “stage 2 plan.” The stage 2 implementation then carries
out the operations described by the plan, using arithmetic modulo N .
The plan provides the values d, i0 , i1 , a set S and a set T , chosen so that all primes q in
]B1 , B2 ] appear as q = id ± j for some (i, j) ∈ T with i0 ≤ i ≤ i1 and j ∈ S.
We try to choose parameters that minimize the number of group operations required forbuilding the lists fi and gj and minimize the number of (i, j)-pairs required to cover all primesin the ]B1 , B2 ] interval. This means that we would like to maximise i0 , minimize i1 , and cover
two primes in ]B1 , B2 ] with a single (i, j)-pair wherever possible.
We choose d highly composite and S = {1 ≤ j < d/2, j ⊥ d}, so that all integers coprime
to d, in particular all primes not dividing d, can be written as id ± j for some integer i andj ∈ S. We assume B1 is large enough that no prime greater than B1 divides d. Choosing valuesof i0 = ⌊B1 /d⌉ and i1 = ⌊B2 /d⌉ is sufficient, but may be improved as shown below.
Computing the lists fi and gj requires at least one group operation per list entry, which is
expensive especially in the case of ECM. The list fi has i1 − i0 + 1 entries where i1 − i0 ≈(B2 − B1 )/d, and gj has φ(d)/2 entries, so we choose d highly composite to achieve small φ(d)and try to minimize i1 − i0 + 1 + φ(d)/2 by ensuring that i1 − i0 + 1 and φ(d)/2 are about equallylarge. In our application of finding primes up to, say, 232 as limited by the large prime boundused in the NFS sieving step, the value of B2 will usually be of the order of a few thousand, anda choice d = 210 works well in this case. With B2 = 5000, i1 = 24 and |S| = 24, so the two lists
of fi and gj are about equally large, assuming small i0 . For smaller B2 , a smaller d is preferable,
for example d = 90 for B1 = 100, B2 = 1000.
We have chosen i1 as an upper bound based on B2 , but we may reduce i1 yet if [i1 d −d/2, i1 d + d/2] does not include any primes up to B2 , and so obtain the final value of i1 .
Having chosen d, S, and i1 , we can choose T . We say a prime q ∈ ]B1 , B2 ] is covered byan (i, j)-pair if q | id ± j; assuming that only the largest prime factor of any id ± j value liesin ]B1 , B2 ], each pair may cover up to two primes. For each prime q ∈ ]B1 , B2 ] we mark thecorresponding entry a[q] in an array to signify a prime that yet needs to be covered.
Let r be the smallest prime not dividing d. Then q | id±j and q 6= id±j implies q = (id±j)/swith s ≥ r since id ± j ⊥ d, thus q ≤ (id ± j)/r. Hence composite values of id ± j with i ≤ i1
can cover only primes up to ⌊(i1 d + d/2)/r⌋, and each prime q > ⌊(i1 d + d/2)/r⌋ can be covered
only by q = id ± j.
In a first pass, we examine each prime q, ⌊(i1 d + d/2)/r⌋ < q ≤ B2 , highest to lowest andthe (i, j)-pair covering this prime. This pair is the only way to cover q and must eventually be
included in T . If this (i, j)-pair also covers a smaller prime q ′ as a composite value, then a[q ′ ] is
un-marked.
In a second pass, we look for additional (i, j)-pairs that cover two primes, both via composite
values. We examine each (i, j)-pair with i0 ≤ i ≤ i1 highest to lowest, and j ∈ S. If there are4.7. Stage 2 for P–1, P+1, and ECM

85

two primes q ′ and q ′′ marked in the array that are covered by the (i, j)-pair under examination,then a[q ′ ] and a[q ′′ ] are un-marked, and a[id − j] is marked instead.
In the third pass, we cover the remaining primes q ≤ ⌊(i1 d + d/2)/r⌋ using (i, j)-pairs withlarge i, if possible, hoping that we may increase the final i0 value. As in the second pass, we
examine each (i, j)-pair in order of decreasing i and, if there is a prime q ′ with a[q ′ ] marked,q ′ | id ± j but q ′ 6= id ± j, we un-mark a[q ′ ] and mark a[id − j] instead. This way, all primes in]B1 , B2 ] are covered, and each with an (i, j)-pair with the largest possible i ≤ i1 .
We now choose the final i0 value by looking for the smallest (not necessarily prime) q suchthat a a[q] is marked, and setting i0 = ⌊q/d⌉. The set T is determined by including each (i, j)pair where an array element a[id − j] or a[id + j] is marked. The pairs in T are stored in orderof increasing i so that the fi can be computed sequentially for P–1 and P+1.

4.7.2

Initialisation

In the initialisation phase of stage 2 for P–1 and P+1 (and similarly for ECM), we compute thevalues gj = Vj (X1 ) with 1 ≤ j < d/2, j ⊥ d and set up the computation of fi = Vid (X1 ) fori0 ≤ i ≤ i1 . To do so, we need Lucas chains that generate all required values of id and j. We
try to find a short Lucas chain that produces all required values to save group operations which
are costly especially for ECM.
Lucas chains for values in an arithmetic progression are particularly simple, since the difference of successive terms is constant. We merely need to start the chain with terms that generate
the common difference and the first two terms of the arithmetic progression.
The values of j with j ⊥ d and 6 | d can be computed in two arithmetic progressions 1 + 6m
and 5 + 6m, via the Lucas chain 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, . . . For d = 210, the required 24
values of j can therefore be generated with a Lucas chain of length 37.
To add the values of id with i0 ≤ i ≤ i1 , we need to add d, i0 d, and (i0 + 1)d to the chain.
If 2 || d, we have d/2 − 2 ⊥ d and d/2 + 2 ⊥ d and we can add d to the Lucas chain by including
4 = 2 + 2 and d = d/2 + 2 + d/2 − 2. If 4 | d, we have d/2 − 1 ⊥ d and d/2 + 1 ⊥ d and we can
add d simply via d = d/2 + 1 + d/2 + 1 as 2 is already in the chain. Since i0 is usually small, we
can compute both i0 d and (i0 + 1)d from d with one binary chain.
Using this Lucas chain, we can compute and store all the gj = Vj (X1 ) residues as well as
Vd (X1 ), fi0 d (X1 ), and f(i0 +1)d (X1 ).
In the case of P–1 and P+1, since the (i, j)-pairs are stored in order of increasing i, all thefi values need not be computed in advance, but can be computed successively as the (i, j)-pairs
are processed.
Initialisation for ECM
For ECM stage 2 we use curves in Montgomery form with projective coordinates, just as instage 1, to avoid costly modular inverses. The initialisation uses the same Lucas chain as in 4.7.2
for the required values of id and j, so that id · P1 and j · P1 can be computed efficiently. However,two points (X1 :: Z1 ) and (X2 :: Z2 ) in projective coordinates being identical does not imply
X1 = X2 , but X1 /Z1 = X2 /Z2 , where Z1 and Z2 are generally not equal, so the X-coordinatesof these points cannot be used directly to build the lists fi and gj .
There are several ways to overcome this obstruction. Several authors (for example [33, 7.4.2]or [78]) propose storing
both X and Z coordinate in the fi and gj lists, and then accumulatingQ
the product A = (i,j)∈T ((fi )X (gj )Z − (gj )X (fi )Z ). An advantage of this approach is that thefi can be computed sequentially while the product is being accumulated and the number of gj

86

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

to precompute and store can be controlled by choice of d, which allows ECM stage 2 to run
under extremely tight memory conditions such as in an FPGA implementation. The obvious
disadvantage is that each (i, j)-pair now uses 3 modular multiplications instead of 1 as in (4.10).
Another approach and much preferable in an implementation where sufficient memory isavailable is canonicalizing the precomputed points so that all points have the same Z-coordinate.
To produce the desired lists fi and gj , we therefore compute all the required points Qi = id · P1
and Rj = j · P1 . If all Z-coordinates of Qi and Rj are made identical, Qi = Rj on Ep implies(Qi )X ≡ (Rj )X (mod p), as desired, and we may set fi = (Qi )X and gj = (Rj )X .
We suggest two methods for this. One is to set all Z-coordinates to 1 (mod N ) via (X ::Z) = (XZ −1 :: 1). To do so, we need the inverse modulo N of each Z-coordinate of ourprecomputed points. A trick due to Montgomery, described for example in [25, 10.3.4], replacesn modular inverses of residues rk modulo N , 1 ≤ k ≤ n, by 1 modular inverse and 3n − 3modular multiplications. This way we can canonicalize a batch of n points with 4n − 3 modular
multiplications and 1 modular inverse. Not all points needed for the fi and gj lists need to beprocessed in a single batch; if memory is insufficient, the points needed for fi can be processedin several batches while product (4.10) is being accumulated.
A faster method was suggested byQP. Zimmermann. Given n ≥ 2 points P1Q, . . . , Pn , Pi =(Xi :: Zi ), we set all Z-coordinates to 1≤i≤n Zi by multiplying
Q each Xk by Tk = Q1≤i≤n,i6=k Zi .
This can be done efficiently by computing two lists sk = 1≤i≤k Zi and tk = k<i≤n Zi for1 ≤ k < n, each at the cost of n − 2 modular multiplications. Now we can set T1 = t1 , Tn = sn−1 ,and Ti = si−1 ti for 1 < i < n, also at the cost of n−2 multiplications. Multiplying Xi by Ti costs
another n modular multiplications for a total of only 4n − 6 modular multiplications, without
any modular inversion. Algorithm 9 implements this idea. Since the common Z-coordinate of
the canonicalized points is the product of all points idP1 and jP1 , the complete set of points
needed for the fi and gj lists must be processed in a single batch.
Interestingly, if the curve parameters are chosen such that the curve initialisation can bedone with modular division by small constants rather than with a modular inverse, then ECM
implemented this way does not use any modular inverses at all, without sacrificing the optimal
cost of 1 modular multiplication per (i, j)-pair in stage 2.

Input: n ≥ 2, an integer
N , a positive integer
Z1 , . . . , Zn , residues modulo N
Data: s, a residue modulo N
Q
Output: T1 , . . . , Tn , residues modulo N with Ti ≡ 1≤i≤n,i6=k Zi (mod N )Tn−1 := Zn ;for k := n − 1 downto 2 do
Tk−1 := Tk · Zk mod N ;s := Z1 ;T2 := T2 · s mod N ;for k := 3 to n dos := s · Zk−1 mod N ;Tk := Tk · s mod N ;Algorithm 9: Batch cross multiplication algorithm.

4.8. Comparison to Hardware Implementations of ECM

4.7.3

87

Executing Plans

The stage 2 plan stores the (i, j)-pairs which cover all primes in ]B1, B2]. The fi and gj lists arecomputed as described in 4.7.2. Stage 2 then reads the stored (i, j)-pairs, and multiplies fi − gj
to an accumulator:YA=(fi − gj ) mod N.
(4.11)(i,j)∈T

Since the pairs are stored in order of increasing i, the full list fi need not be precomputed for
P–1 and P+1, but each fi can be computed sequentially by V(i+1)d (X1 ) = Vid (X1 )Vd (X1 ) −V(i−1)d (X1 ). At the end of stage 2, we take r = gcd(A, N ), hoping that 1 < r < N and so thatr is a proper factor of N .
Backtracking
We would like to avoid finding all prime factors of the input number N simultaneously, i.e.,
finding N as a trivial factor. As in stage 1 of P–1 and P+1, a backtracking mechanism is used
to recover from such a situation.
Since r = gcd(A, N ) and A is a reduced residue modulo N , we find r = N as a factor if andonly if A = 0. We set up a “backup” residue A′ = 1 at the start of evaluation of (4.11). At
periodic intervals during the evaluation of (4.11), for example each time that i is increased, wetest if A = 0, which is easy since the residue does not need to be converted out of Montgomery
representation if REDC (see Section 4.3.2) is used for the arithmetic. If A = 0, we take r =gcd(A′ , N ) and end stage 2. Otherwise, we set A′ = A. This way, a proper factor of N can be
discovered so long as all prime factors of N are not found between two tests for A = 0.

4.7.4

P+1 and ECM stage 2 Performance

Tables 4.7 and 4.8 compares the performance of the P+1 and the ECM stage 2 implementation
for different B2 values and modulus sizes on AMD Phenom and Intel Core 2 CPUs. In each case,the timing run used B1 = 10 and d = 210, and the time for a run with B1 = 10 and without any
stage 2 was subtracted.

4.7.5

Overall Performance of P–1, P+1 and ECM

Tables 4.9 and 4.10 shows the expected time to find primes close to 225 , 226 , . . . , 232 for moduli of
1 word and of 2 words, and the B1 and B2 parameters chosen to minimize the expected time. The
empirically determined probability estimate is based on the elliptic curve with rational 12 torsion
and parameter k = 2 in Section 4.6.2. That the B1 and B2 parameters are not monotonously
increasing with factor size is due to the fact that the expected time to find a prime factor as afunction of B1 and B2 is very flat around the minimum, so that even small perturbations of thetimings noticeably affect the parameters chosen as optimal.

4.8

Comparison to Hardware Implementations of ECM

Several hardware implementations of ECM for use as a cofactorization device in NFS have been
described recently, based on the proposed design “SHARK” by Franke et al. [41]. SHARK
is a hardware implementation of GNFS for factoring 1024-bit integers which uses ECM forcofactorization after sieving. The idea of implementing GNFS in hardware is inspired by theChapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

88

B2
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000

1 word
3.06
4.09
5.07
6.00
6.95
7.80
8.83
9.69
10.7
11.5
20.3
28.9
37.4
45.7
54.1

Core 2
2 words −2 bits
6.72
9.86
12.7
15.5
18.2
20.8
23.7
26.3
29.0
31.4
57.0
81.8
106
130
154

1 word
2.91
3.64
4.37
5.01
5.77
6.40
7.09
7.73
8.39
9.01
15.3
21.3
27.2
33.1
38.8

Phenom2 words −2 bits
6.24
8.08
10.1
11.8
13.8
15.4
17.3
19.0
20.7
22.5
39.3
55.0
70.8
86.2
102

Table 4.7: Time in microseconds for P+1 stage 2 with different B2 values on 2.146 GHz Intel
Core 2 and 2 GHz AMD Phenom CPUs
observation of Bernstein [7] that dedicated hardware could achieve a significantly lower cost interms of Area-Time product than a software implementation that uses sieving on a regular PC.
He proposes, among other algorithms, to use ECM for the smoothness test.
Pelzl et al. [78] present a scalable implementation of ECM stage 1 and stage 2 for input numbers of up to 200 bits, based on Xilinx Virtex2000E-6 FPGAs with an external microcontroller.
Their design has one modular multiplication unit per ECM unit, and each ECM unit performs
both stage 1 and stage 2. They propose using the bounds B1 = 910 and B2 = 57000 for finding
primes of up to about 40 bits. They use curves in Montgomery form (4.3) and a binary Lucas
chain for stage 1 that uses 13740 modular multiplications (including squarings), and estimatethat an optimized Lucas chain could do it in ≈ 12000 modular multiplications. They use anenhanced standard stage 2 that uses 3 modular multiplications per (i, j)-pair, see 4.7.2. With avalue d = 210, they estimate 303 point additions and 14 point doublings in the initialisation ofstage 2, and 13038 modular multiplications for collecting the product (4.10) with 4346 different(i, j)-pairs for a total of 14926 modular multiplications in stage 2. However, to minimize the AT
product, they propose using d = 30 with a total of 24926 modular multiplications in stage 2.
In our implementation, stage 1 with B1 = 910 and PRAC-generated chains (using cost 6
for point addition, 5 for doubling, 0.5 for each byte code and 0.5 for each byte code change asparameters for rating candidate chains) uses 11403 modular multiplications, 83% of the figure
for the binary Lucas chain. (Using chains for composite values where the resulting chain isshorter than the concatenated chains for the factors is not currently used and could probably
reduce this figure by a few more percent.) Our stage 2 with B2 = 57000 and d = 210 uses 290
point additions, 13 point doublings, 1078 modular multiplications for point canonicalization and4101 pairs which cost 1 modular multiplication each, for a total of 6945 modular multiplications.
The cost of computing and canonicalizing the points idP1 has a relatively large share in thisfigure, suggesting that a value for d such that B2 /(dφ(d)) is closer to 1 might reduce the total
multiplication count. In a hardware implementation, the extra memory requirements may makelarger d values inefficient in terms of the AT product, but this is not an issue in a software

4.8. Comparison to Hardware Implementations of ECM

B2
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000

1 word
5.86
7.46
8.83
10.1
11.5
12.7
14.0
15.4
16.7
17.9
30.5
42.8
54.9
66.7
78.3

Core 2
2 words −2 bits
17.2
21.5
25.4
29.7
33.7
37.6
41.4
45.8
49.6
53.4
91.3
128
164
200
235

89

1 word
7.10
7.87
8.79
9.55
10.5
11.2
12.1
12.9
13.7
14.5
22.3
29.7
37.2
44.5
51.8

Phenom2 words −2 bits
17.5
19.7
22.0
24.1
26.5
28.2
30.8
32.7
34.6
36.9
56.6
75.0
94.3
113
131

Table 4.8: Time in microseconds for ECM stage 2 with different B2 values on 2.146 GHz Intel
Core 2 and 2 GHz AMD Phenom CPUs
n
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32

B1
300
310
320
400
430
530
530
540

B2
5000
6000
6000
6000
7000
11000
10000
10000

Prob.
0.249
0.220
0.186
0.167
0.149
0.158
0.128
0.105

1 word
46
55
67
81
100
119
144
177

2 words −2 bits
103
125
151
182
224
275
330
410

Table 4.9: Expected time in microseconds and probability to find prime factors close to 2nof composites with 1 or 2 words with P–1 on 2 GHz AMD Phenom CPUs. The B1 and B2
parameters are chosen empirically to minimize the time/probability ratio.
implementation on a normal PC. In our implementation, d = 630 provides the minimum total
number of 5937 modular multiplications in stage 2, only 40% of the number reported by Pelzl etal. for d = 210, and only 24% of their number for d = 30.
These figures suggest that a software implementation of ECM on a normal PC enjoys anadvantage over an implementation in embedded hardware by having sufficient memory available
that choice of algorithms and of parameters are not constrained by memory, which significantly
reduces the number of modular multiplications in stage 2. This problem might be reduced byseparating the implementation of stage 1 and stage 2 in hardware, so that each stage 1 units
needs only very little memory and forwards its output to a stage 2 unit which has enough memory
to compute stage 2 with a small multiplication count, while the stage 1 unit processes the next
input number.
Gaj et al. [44] improve on the design by Pelzl et al. mainly by use of a more efficient implementation of modular multiplication, by avoiding limitations due to the on-chip block RAM

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

90
n
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32

B1
130
130
150
160
180
200
260
250

B2
7000
7000
11000
13000
12000
12000
14000
15000

Prob.
0.359
0.297
0.290
0.256
0.220
0.188
0.182
0.147

1 word
67
81
101
124
151
190
231
283

2 words −2 bits
176
213
264
324
395
496
604
744

Table 4.10: Expected time in microseconds and probability per curve to find prime factors close
to 2n of composites with 1 or 2 words with ECM on 2 GHz AMD Phenom CPUs. The B1 andB2 parameters are chosen empirically to minimize the expected time.
which allows them to fit more ECM units per FPGA, and removing the need for an external
microcontroller. The algorithm of ECM stage 1 and stage 2 is essentially the same as that ofPelzl et al. They report an optimal performance/cost ratio of 311 ECM runs per second per $100
for an input number of up to 198 bits with B1 = 910, B2 = 57000, d = 210, using an inexpensive
Spartan 3E XC3S1600E-5 FPGA for their implementation. They also compare their implementation to an ECM implementation in software, GMP-ECM [39], running on a Pentium 4, andconclude that their design on a low-cost Spartan 3 FPGA offers about 10 times better performance/cost ratio than GMP-ECM on a Pentium 4. However, GMP-ECM is a poor candidate
for assessing the performance of ECM in software for very small numbers with low B1 and B2
values. GMP-ECM is optimized for searching large prime factors (as large as reasonably possible
with ECM) of numbers of at least a hundred digits size by use of asymptotically fast algorithms
in particular in stage 2, see [103]. For very small input, the function call and loop overhead inmodular arithmetic and the cost of generating Lucas chains on-the-fly in stage 1 dominates theexecution time; likewise in stage 2, the initialisation of the polynomial multi-point evaluation
and again function call and loop overhead will dominate,while the B2 value is far too small to√
let the asymptotically fast stage 2 (with time in Õ( B2 )) make up for the overhead.
De Meulenaer et al. [34] further improve the performance/cost-ratio by using a high-performance Xilinx Virtex4SX FPGA with embedded multipliers instead of implementing the modular multiplication with general-purpose logic. They implement only stage 1 of ECM and only
for input of up to 135 bits. One ECM unit utilizes all multipliers of the selected FPGA, so one
ECM unit fits per device. By scaling the throughput of the design of Gaj et al. to 135-bit input,
they conclude that their design offers a 15.6 times better performance/cost ratio. In particular,
assuming a cost of $116 per device, they state a throughput of 13793 ECM stage 1 with B1 = 910
per second per $100.
We compare the cost of finding 40-bit factors using our software implementation of ECM
with that given by de Meulenaer et al. Our implementation is currently limited to moduli ofsize 2 words with the two most significant bits zero, or 126 bits on a 64-bit system, whereas theimplementation of de Meulenaer et al. allows 135-bit moduli. Extending our implementation tonumbers of 3 words is in progress, but not functional at this time. We expect that ECM with
3-word moduli will take about twice as long as for 2-word moduli. For the comparison we use
timings for 126-bit moduli (2 words) and estimates for 135-bit moduli (3 words).
The timings for our code are obtained using an AMD Phenom X4 9350e with four cores at
2.0 GHz. The AMD 64-bit CPUs all can perform a full 64 × 64-bit product every 2 clock cycles,4.8. Comparison to Hardware Implementations of ECM
XC4VSX25-10 Phenom 9350e
DeviceClock rate
0.22 GHz
2.0 GHz
Cores per device
14126-bit modulus (2 words in software)Time per stage 1
62.5µs232.1µs
59.2µs
121.5µs
Time per stage 2
121.7µs353.6µs
Time per trial
8217
11312
#Trials/sec/device
Cost per device
$300
2739
#Trials/sec/$100
135-bit modulus (3 words in software)Time per stage 1
62.5µs≈ 464µs
59.2µs≈ 243µs
Time per stage 2
121.7≈ 707µs
Time per trial
8217≈ 5658#Trials/sec/device$300
Cost per device#Trials/sec/$100
2739

91
Phenom II X4 955
3.2 GHz4≈ 145µs≈ 76µs≈ 221µs
18100
$215
8418
≈ 290µs≈ 152µs≈ 442µs≈ 9052$215
4210

Table 4.11: Comparison of ECM with B1 = 910, B2 = 57000 for 126-bit and 135-bit input on a
Virtex4SX25-10 FPGA and on AMD 64-bit microprocessors

making them an excellent platform for multi-precision modular arithmetic. The fastest AMD
CPU currently available is a four-core 3.2 GHz Phenom II X4 955 at a cost of around $215
(regular retail price, according to www.newegg.com on July 28th 2009) and we scale the timings
linearly to that clock rate. Since the code uses almost no resources outside the CPU core, linear
scaling is reasonable. The number of clock cycles used is assumed identical between the Phenom
and Phenom II. Similarly, running the code on n cores of a CPU is assumed to increase total
throughput n-fold.
Table 4.11 compares the performance of the implementation in hardware of de Meulenaer
et al. and of our software implementation, using the parameters B1 = 910, B2 = 57000. The
software implementation uses d = 630 for stage 2. De Meulenaer et al. do not implement stage 2,
but predict its performance as capable of 16, 900 stage 2 per second per device. We use thisestimate in the comparison. They also give the cost of one Xilinx XC4VSX25-10 FPGA as $116
when buying 2500 devices. The current quote at www.nuhorizons.com and www.avnet.com forthis device is about $300, however. We base the price comparison on the latter figure. Only thecost of the FPGA or the CPU, respectively, are considered. The results show that a software
implementation of ECM can compete in terms of cost per ECM trial with the published designs
for ECM in hardware. An advantage of the software implementation is flexibility: it can run
on virtually any 64-bit PC, and so utilize otherwise idle computing resources. If new systems
are purchased, they involve only standard parts that can be readily used for a wide range ofcomputational tasks. Given a comparable performance/cost ratio, an implementation in software
running on standard hardware is the more practical.
Our current implementation is sufficient for one set of parameters proposed by the SHARK[41] design for factoring 1024-bit integers by GNFS which involves the factorization of approximately 1.7 · 1014 integers of up to 125 bits produced by the sieving step. The time for bothstage 1 and stage 2 with B1 = 910, B2 = 57000 is 353.6µs on a 2 GHz Phenom, and about 221µs

92

Chapter 4. Factoring small integers with P–1, P+1 and ECM

on a 3.2 GHz Phenom II. Using the latter, 1.7 · 1014 ECM trials can be performed in approximately 300 CPU-years. But how many curves need to be run per input number? Pelzl et al. [78]state that 20 curves at B1 = 910, B2 = 57000 find a 40-bit factor with > 80% probability, anddoing 20 trials per input number gives a total time of about 6000 CPU years. However, the vast
majority of input numbers will not be 240 -smooth, and fewer than 20 curves suffice to establish
non-smoothness with high probability, making this estimate somewhat pessimistic. Assuming a
cost of about $350 for a bare-bone but functional system with one AMD Phenom II X4 955 CPU,
this translates to a pessimistic estimate of about $2.1M for hardware capable of performing therequired ECM factorizations within a year.
Bernstein et al. [10] recently demonstrated a highly efficient implementation of ECM ongraphics cards that support general-purpose programming. An NVidia GTX 295 card is reported
as performing stage 1 of 4928 ECM curves with B1 = 8192 and a 210-bit modulus per second,and is estimated to perform 5895 curves with the same parameters with a 196-bit modulus.
Assuming a purchase price of $500 per card, this translates to 11.8 curves per Dollar and second.
Our implementation of ECM takes 2087µs on a Phenom 9350e per curve (only stage 1) withthe same parameters and a 126-bit modulus; with 192-bit modulus on a Phenom II X4 955 weestimate the time as approximately 2609µs, or 1533 curves per second per device, which results
in approximately 7.1 curves per Dollar and second. ECM on graphics cards is therefore a serious
contender for performing cofactorization in the NFS. The graphics card implementation does
not include a stage 2, however, and implementing one may be difficult due to severely restricted
low-latency memory in graphics processing units.

Chapter 5

Parameter selection for P–1, P+1, andECM
5.1

Introduction

In Chapter 4 we described an efficient implementation of the P-1, P+1, and ECM factoringalgorithms tailored for rapidly processing many small input numbers. However, nothing was said
about how to choose the various parameters to these algorithms, in particular the B1 and B2
values and, for ECM, the parameters of the curve, so that the algorithms can be used efficiently
within the Number Field Sieve.
The sieving phase of the Number Field Sieve looks for (a, b)-pairs with a ⊥ b such thatthe values of two homogeneous polynomials Fi (a, b), i ∈ 1, 2, are both smooth as described in
Section 4.1. The sieving step identifies which of the primes up to the factor base limit Bi divide
each Fi (a, b) and produces the cofactors ci of Fi (a, b) after the respective factor base primes
have been divided out. The task of the cofactorization step in the sieving phase is to identify
those cofactors that are smooth according to some smoothness criterion; typically a cofactor ci isconsidered smooth if it does not exceed the cofactor bound Ci and has no prime factor exceeding
the large prime bound Li . The typical order of magnitude for Bi is around 107 . . . 108 , and the
Li are typically between 100Bi and 1000Bi .
To determine whether the cofactor pair (c1 , c2 ) satisfies this smoothness criterion, we try tofactor it. For this we attempt a sequence of factoring methods, where by “method” we mean afactoring algorithm with a particular set of parameters, such as: ECM with the elliptic curve
generated by the Brent-Suyama parametrization with parameter σ = 6, with B1 = 200 and
B2 = 5000.
In order to choose good parameters, we need to be able to compute the probability that a
particular parameter choice finds a factor of the input number. That is, we need to computethe probability that a method finds a factor of a particular size and the expected number offactors in the input number of that size so that by summing over possible factor sizes we get the
expected value for the number of factors the method will find.
We start by examining which parameters of the factoring methods affect the probability offinding a factor in Section 5.2, then show how this probability can be computed in Section 5.3.
Finally we give an accurate estimate of the expected number of prime factors in a cofactor
produced by NFS in Section 5.4.
93

Chapter 5. Parameter selection for P–1, P+1, and ECM

94

5.2

Parametrization

In this section we take a closer look at the parameters available for the P–1, P+1, and ECM
algorithms, how they affect run-time and the divisibility properties of the associated group orders.
Each method finds a prime factor p of N if the starting element x0 in a (here additively written)
group Gp defined over Fp has smooth order; more precisely, if a multiple ex0 of the starting
element is the identity element of the group, or if qex0 for a not-too-large prime q is the identity.
The group operation of Gp requires arithmetic modulo p, a yet unknown prime factor of N ,but we can instead do all arithmetic in Z/N Z which contains Fp . From the identity element of
the group, a residue r (mod N ) is constructed with r ≡ 0 (mod p) so that p | gcd(r, N ), but
hopefully r 6≡ 0 (mod N ), since then the gcd reveals a proper factor of N .
Stage 1 of these algorithms computes ex0 in their respective group, where e is typically chosen
as e = lcm(1, 2, 3, 4, . . . , B1 ) for an integer parameter B1 , the “stage 1 bound,” so that e includes
as divisors all primes and prime powers up to B1 . This way, ex0 is the identity if the order of x0
is B1 -powersmooth, i.e., has no prime or prime power greater than B1 as a divisor.
If stage 1 is unsuccessful, stage 2 takes ex0 as input and efficiently tests if any qex0 for many
candidate primes q is the identity element; the set of primes to test is typically chosen as all
primes greater than B1 , but not exceeding an integer parameter B2 , the “stage 2 bound.”The property that determines success or failure of these methods is the smoothness of theorder of the starting element x0 in Gp , and unlike P–1, the P+1 and Elliptic Curve methods
have parameters that affect the order of the group Gp , and hence the order of x0 . By carefulchoice of parameters, the probability that the order of Gp (and hence of x0 ) is smooth can beincreased significantly. We therefore examine how the choice of parameters affects divisibility
properties of the group order |Gp | for a random prime p. By the probability of a random prime
p having a property, we mean the ratio of primes p < n that have that property in the limit ofn → ∞, assuming this limit exists.
The effect of these modified divisibility properties on the probability of the order of x0 being
smooth is examined in Section 5.3.

5.2.1

Parametrization for P–1

The P–1 method, described in Section 2.2 and Section 4.4, always works in the multiplicative
group F∗p of order p − 1, independently of the choice of the starting element x0 . Therefore
we choose x0 primarily to simplify the arithmetic in stage 1 of P–1, which is basically just a
modular exponentiation. With x0 = 2, the modular exponentiation can be carried out with only
squarings and doublings in a binary left-to-right exponentiation ladder. A minor effect of the
choice x0 = 2 is that 2 is a quadratic residue if p ≡ ±1 (mod 8), so in this case we know that
ordp (x0 ) | (p − 1)/2, and (assuming 4 | e) that p − 1 | 2e is sufficient for finding any prime p.
The probability that Valq (p − 1) = k for a random prime p with q prime is 1 − 1/(q − 1) for
k = 0 and 1/q k for k > 0; the expected value for Valq (p − 1) is q/(q − 1)2 .

5.2.2

Parametrization for P+1

The P+1 method, described in Section 2.3 and Section 4.5, works in a subgroup of theof group∆2
units of Fp [X]/(X − x0 X + 1) with x0 6≡ 0 (mod p); the order of the group is p − p where∆ = x20 − 4, hence it can be either p − 1 or p + 1, depending on p and the choice of x0 . This
allows choosing x0 so that the group order is more likely to be smooth.

5.2. Parametrization95

For example, with ∆ = −1 · k 2 for some rational k, the group order is always divisible by 4,
increasing the average exponent of 2 in the group order from 2 to 3. Other prime factors in thegroup order appear with average exponent as in the P–1 method. A suitable value is x0 = 6/5,
giving ∆ = −64/25 = −1 · (8/5)2 .
With ∆ = −3 · k 2 , the group order is always divisible by 6, which increases the average
exponent of 3 in the group order from 3/4 to 3/2, with other primes factors of the group order
behaving as in P–1. A suitable value is x0 = 2/7, giving ∆ = −192/49 = −3 · (8/7)2 . This choice
is suggested in [65, §6].

5.2.3

Parametrization for ECM

The Elliptic Curve Method, described in Section 4.6, works in the group of points of an elliptic
curve defined over Fp . The order of the group depends on bothp and the curve parameters and√ √is an integer in the Hasse interval p + 1 − 2 p, p + 1 + 2 p .
Careful selection of the curve parameters allows forcing the group order to be divisible by
12 or by 16 and increasing the average exponent of small primes even beyond what this known
factor of the group order guarantees, which greatly increases the probability of the group order
being smooth, especially if the prime to be found and hence the order is small.
The ECM algorithm needs a non-singular curve over Fp and a starting point P0 known to
be on the curve. Since the prime factor p of N we wish to find is not known in advance, onechooses a non-singular curve over Q with a rational non-torsion point on it, and maps both toZ/N Z, hoping that the curve remains non-singular over Fp , which it does for all primes p that
don’t divide the curve’s discriminant.
The torsion points on an elliptic curve over Q remain distinct when mapping to Fp for almost
all p, and the map to Fp retains the group structure of the torsion group, so that a curve withrational n-torsion over Q guarantees a subgroup of order n of the curve over Fp , hence a grouporder divisible by n. By a theorem of Mazur [25, 7.1.11], the torsion group of an elliptic curve
over Q is either cyclic with 1 ≤ n ≤ 10 or n = 12, or is isomorphic to Z/2Z × Z/(2m)Z with1 ≤ m ≤ 4, giving n ∈ {4, 8, 12, 16}. Thus the two largest possible orders of the torsion groupare 12 and 16.
For an effective ECM implementation we therefore seek a parametrization of elliptic curves
that produces a large, preferably infinite, family of non-singular curves with a known point overQ, that have a large torsion group over Q, and whose curve parameters and coordinates of thestarting point can be computed effectively in Z/N Z where N is composite with unknown prime
factors, which in particular rules out taking any square roots.
The first choice to make is the form of the curve equation. Any elliptic curve over a fieldwith characteristic neither 2 nor 3 can be written in the short Weierstraß form
y 2 = x3 + ax + b,
however the addition law for points on this curve over Z/N Z involves a costly modular inverse.
Montgomery [65] suggests projective curves of the form
BY 2 Z = X(X 2 + AXZ + Z 2 )(5.1)

which allow for an addition law without modular inverses, but require that to add two points,
their difference is known, leading to more complicated addition chains for multiplying a point by
an integer, described in 4.5.1 and 4.6.3.

Chapter 5. Parameter selection for P–1, P+1, and ECM

96

12Z
σ=2
σ = 11
torsion 12
16Z
torsion 16

2
3
3.323
3.666
3.667
5
5.333

3
1.5
1.687
1.687
1.687
0.5
0.680

5
0.25
0.301
0.302
0.302
0.25
0.302

7
0.167
0.191
0.191
0.191
0.167
0.191

11
0.1
0.109
0.109
0.109
0.1
0.109

13
0.08330.08980.08980.08980.08330.0898170.06250.0662
0.0662
0.06620.06250.066119
0.0556
0.05850.05840.05850.0556
0.0584

Table 5.1: Average exponent of primes up to 19 in integers that are a multiple of 12 or 16, andexperimentally determined average exponent in the order of elliptic curves with Brent-Suyama
parametrization and parameter σ = 2 and 11, and in curves with Montgomery’s parametrization
for rational torsion 12 and 16.
Edwards [37] suggests a new form of elliptic curve which Bernstein et al. [9] use for an efficient
implementation of ECM. Edwards’ curve form was not used for the present work, but in thelight of the results of Bernstein et al. should be considered in future implementations of ECM.
The Brent-Suyama Parametrization
The Brent-Suyama parametrization of elliptic curves in Montgomery form, described in Section 4.6.2, is the most popular in existing implementations of ECM and is used, for example,
in GMP-ECM and in Prime95. It produces curves with 6 rational torsion points, plus complex
points of order 12 of which at least one maps to Fp for almost all p, leading to a group order ofthe curve over Fp that is divisible by 12. However, the order does not behave like an integer thatis a multiple of 12 chosen uniformly at random from the Hasse interval; the average exponent ofsmall primes is greater than ensuring divisibility by 12 suggests. Table 5.1 compares the average
exponent of small primes in integers that are divisible by 12 and in the group orders of elliptic
curves over Fp , 103 < p < 109 , using the Brent-Suyama parametrization with σ = 2 (all otherinteger σ-values examined, except for σ = 11, produced same average exponents up to statisticalnoise) as well as the choice σ = 11, which surprisingly leads to a higher average exponent of 2 inthe order.
The unexpected increase of the average exponent of 2 for σ = 11 has been examined by Barbulescu [19] who found two sub-families of curves produced by the Brent-Suyama parametrizationthat show this behavior. For each sub-family the σ-values live on an elliptic curve of rank 1 overQ, thus producing an infinite family of curves for ECM.
The Montgomery Parametrizations
Montgomery [67, Chapter 6] gives two parametrizations for curves of form (4.3), one for curves
with rational 12-torsion and one with rational 16-torsion, see Section 4.6.2.
Table 5.1 shows the average exponent of small primes in curves with 12 (k = 2) or 16(A = 54721/14400) rational torsion points; curves with other parameters in the respective family
produce similar figures.

5.2.4

Choice of Stage 1 Multiplier

The usual choice of the stage 1 multiplier is E = lcm(1, 2, . . . , B1 ), i.e., the product of all primes
and prime powers up to B1 . This is based on the rationale that we want to include each prime

5.3. Estimating Success Probability of P–1, P+1, and ECM

97

and prime power that has a probability of dividing the group order of at least 1/B1 . However,this choice does not take into account the different cost of including different primes q in themultiplier, which grows like log(q).
Consider the probability Pr[q k || n] where n is the value that we hope will divide E (say,the order of the starting element in the P–1, P+1 or ECM algorithm). In order to have n | E,
every prime q must divide E in at least the same exponent as in n. Examining each prime q
independently, we can choose to increase the exponent k of q so long as the probability that thisincrease causes q to occur in high enough power, divided by the cost of increasing k by 1, is better
than some constant c, i.e., choose k maximal such that Pr[q k || n]/ log(q) ≥ c. This modified
choice favours the inclusion of smaller primes, in higher powers than in lcm(1, 2, . . . , B1 ).
For a comparison, we assume that n behaves like a “random” integer, meaning that Pr[q k ||n] = (1−1/q)/q k . With E = lcm(1, . . . , 227), there are 871534 integers in [900000000, 1100000000]
with n | E, whereas using the improved choice with c = 1/1200 gives E ′ /E = 27132/50621 =22 · 3 · 7 · 17 · 19/(223 · 227) and finds 913670 in the same interval, a 4.8% increase, even though
E ′ is slightly smaller than E. The advantage quickly diminishes with larger B1 , however.
With E = lcm(1, . . . , 990), 7554965 integers are found, whereas the choice c = 1/6670 leads
to E ′ /E = 182222040/932539661 = 23 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 11 · 13 · 37 · 41/(971 · 977 · 983) and finds 7623943
integers, approximately a 1% increase. Here, the ratio E ′ /E ≈ 1/5 is higher than before, but thisis not the reason for the smaller gain. Even with 6E ′ , the number of integers found is 7635492,
still only an about 1% difference.
The group order |Gp | in P–1, P+1, and ECM does not behave like a random integer, but forsmall primes q the probability that q k divides exactly the group order |Gp | (or better, the orderof the starting element x0 in Gp ) for a random prime p is easy enough to determine empirically,
which allows choosing the multiplier E so that the particular divisibility properties of the grouporder are taken into account.

5.3

Estimating Success Probability of P–1, P+1, and ECM

5.3.1

Smooth Numbers and the Dickman Function

To estimate the probability of finding a prime factor with the P–1, P+1, or ECM algorithms,
we need to estimate the probability that the order of the starting element is smooth. Even
though the order of the starting element does not behave quite like a random integer, we start byrecapitulating well-known methods of estimating smoothness probabilities for random integers,
and show how to modify the estimate to take into account the known divisibility properties ofthe order of the starting element.
I have investigated the question of how to compute smoothness probabilities using Dickman’s
ρ-function, and how to modify the computation to give the probability of smoothness of an integer
close to N in the context of my Diploma thesis [58]. The relevant parts of the text are included
here for completeness.
Let S(x, y) be the set of y-smooth natural numbers not exceeding x, Ψ(x, y) the cardinalityof the set S(x, y), P (1/u, x) the number of x1/u -smooth integers not exceeding x for real u > 0,and ρ(u) the limit of P (1/u, x)/x for x → ∞ (Dickman’s function, [35]).

Chapter 5. Parameter selection for P–1, P+1, and ECM

98

S(x, y) = {n ∈ N, n ≤ x : p ∈ P, p | x ⇒ p ≤ y}Ψ(x, y) = |S(x, y)|P (1/u, x) = Ψ(x, x1/u )P (1/u, x).
ρ(u) = limx→∞xThat the limit for ρ(u) exists is proved, for example, by Knuth and Trapp-Pardo [57] where
they show that Ψ(x, y) and ρ(u) satisfy


x
1/u
.
(5.2)
Ψ(x, x ) = ρ(u)x + O
log(x)
They also give an improvement that lowers the error term,xxΨ(x, x1/u ) = ρ(u)x + σ(u)+O
log(x)
log(x)2(5.3)

with σ(u) = (1 − γ)ρ(u − 1).
Evaluating ρ(u)The Dickman ρ(u) function can be evaluated by using the definition


u≤0
0
ρ(u) = 10<u≤1
R u ρ(t−1)
dt u > 1.
1− 1
t

(5.4)

In principle ρ(u) can be computed from (5.4) for all u via numerical integration, however when
integrating over this delay differential equation, rounding errors accumulate quickly, making it
difficult to obtain accurate results for larger u.
This problem can be alleviated somewhat by using a closed form of ρ(u) for small u. For
example, for 1 < u ≤ 2 we haveZ uρ(t − 1)
ρ(u) = 1 −
dt
t
1
Z u
1
dt
= 1−
1 t
= 1 − log(u)and for 2 < u ≤ 3
Z uρ(t − 1)dtt
1Z u
1 − log(t − 1)dt
= 1 − log(2) −
t
2

u

= 1 − log(2) − log(t) + log(t) log(1 − t) − log(t − 1) + Li2 (t)ρ(u) = 1 −2

5.3. Estimating Success Probability of P–1, P+1, and ECM

99

1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

ρ(u)

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Figure 5.1: The Dickman function ρ(u) for 1 ≤ u ≤ 5.
where Li2 (x) is the dilogarithm of x, which is defined by the sum
Li2 (x) =

∞
X
xk
k=1

k2

.

Note that some authors and software define the dilogarithm of x as what corresponds to Li2 (1−x)
in our notation. To avoid negative arguments to logarithms, we use the functional identity
1
Li2 (x) = π 2 − log(x) log(1 − x) − Li2 (1 − x)6and Li2 (−1) = −π 2 /12 which produces for 2 < u ≤ 3
ρ(u) = 1 +π2− log(u) 1 − log(u − 1) + Li2 (1 − u).
12

In this way, values of ρ(u) for 0 ≤ u ≤ 3 can easily be computed with high accuracy. Values
up to approximately u = 7 can be computed via numerical integration; for larger values theaccumulated rounding errors start having significant effect on the computed ρ(u)-values. For ourapplication, only relatively small u-values are considered, so the numerical integration approachis sufficient. A graph of ρ(u) for 1 ≤ u ≤ 5 is shown in 5.1.
If ρ(u) is needed with high accuracy for possibly large u-values, Marsaglia and Zama [63] show
how to compute ρ(u) (and other functions defined by delay-differential equations) accurately to
up to hundreds of digits by expressing ρ(u) piecewise as power series.
Smooth Numbers Close to x
Dickman’s function estimates the ratio of x1/u -smooth numbers between 1 and x. However, we
would like to compute the probability that a number of a certain magnitude close to some x issmooth instead. Fortunately it is easy to convert to this model.
The ratio of y-smooth integers between x and x + dx isΨ(x + dx, y) − Ψ(x, y).
dxChapter 5. Parameter selection for P–1, P+1, and ECM

100

Using the approximation (5.2) with u = log(x)/ log(y) and ignoring the O(x/ log(x)) term, weget
(x + dx) − ρ(u)x
ρ log(x+dx)
log(y)=dx ρ u + log(1+d) − ρ(u)
log(y)
log(1 + d)+
ρ u+log(y)dand with d → 0, this becomes1
ρ′ (u) =log(y)uρ′ (u).
ρ(u) +
log(x)
ρ(u) +

Now substituting ρ′ (u) = −ρ(u − 1)/u yields
ρ(u) −1
ρ(u − 1).
log(x)(5.5)

Considering the O(x/ log(x)) term again, we findΨ(x + dx, y) − Ψ(x, y)= ρ(u) + Odx

1log(x)

for x → ∞, no better than using Dickman’s function immediately. Starting instead with thebetter approximation (5.3) leads toρ(u) − γρ(u − 1)
ρ(u − 2)
− (1 − γ)log(x)
u log(x)2

and



1
Ψ(x + dx, y) − Ψ(x, y)ρ(u − 1)= ρ(u) − γ+Odxlog(x)
log(x)2
for x → ∞. Thus we defineρ(u − 1)ρ̂(u, x) = ρ(u) − γlog(x)and have
1
Ψ(x + dx, y) − Ψ(x, y).
= xρ̂(u, x) + O
dxlog(x)2

(5.6)

(5.7)

This approximation shows that using (5.3), which includes the σ(u) correction term but
estimates the ratio of smooth values between 1 and x, actually produces a worse result for theratio of smooth numbers close to x than the plain Dickman ρ(u) alone, whereas (5.5), which
estimates the ratio to smooth values close to x but without the σ(u) term, does not result in any
improvement of the estimate over the ρ(u)-function, leaving the magnitude of the error almost
the same but changing the sign.
Table 5.2 compares the estimates produced by the Dickman function ρ(3) and by ρ̂(3, x) withexperimental counts. The relative error of the plain ρ(3) function is between 12 and 16 percent
in the investigated range, while the relative error for ρ̂(3, x) for larger x is more than an orderof magnitude smaller and about 0.5 percent for x ≥ 1014 . For larger values of u, the relative
error for ρ̂(u, x) is significantly higher, due to the ρ(u − 2) factor in the O() term. The ratioρ(u − 2)/ρ(u) increases quickly with u, approximately like u2 [57, 6.3]. For example, the relative
error for ρ̂(5, 1015 ) is about 12 percent.

5.3. Estimating Success Probability of P–1, P+1, and ECM
x

Count

109
1010
1011
1012
1013
1014

419237742398664238110428037743040404336571ρ(3) · 108
Est.
Rel. err. in %486083915.94
486083914.64
486083914.69
486083913.56
486083912.94
486083912.09

101

ρ̂(3, x) · 108
Est.
Rel. err. in %4006146−4.444091615−3.50
4161545−1.814219819−1.414269128−0.81
4311393
−0.58

1/3
7
1/3
7
Table 5.2: A comparison of experimental count Ψ(x ,7x + 5 · 10 7)− Ψ(x , x − 5 · 10 ) and1/3
estimated number of x -smooth numbers in x − 5 · 10 , x + 5 · 10

5.3.2

Effect of Divisibility Properties on Smoothness Probability

The P–1, P+1, and ECM algorithms all find a prime factor p if a group defined over Fp hassmooth order, and we have seen that the group order does not behave like a random integer withrespect to divisibility by small primes. We would like to quantify the effect of these divisibility
probabilities of small primes on the probability that the order is smooth so that the effectivenessof different parameter choices can be compared accurately.
The effect of the higher frequency of small factors on smoothness probability can be estimatedwith a technique developed by Schröppel and Knuth for the analysis of the Continued Fraction
method of factorisation [56, 4.5.4]. The idea is to compare the average exponent f (q, S) of
small primes q in values chosen uniformly at random from the set S of numbers being tested forsmoothness with the average exponent found when choosing values from the integers, f (q, N) =1/(q − 1).
When choosing an s ∈ S and dividing out the primes q < k, we can expect the remaining
cofactor r to have logarithmic sizeXf (q, S) log(q).
(5.8)
log(r) = log(s) −q∈P,q<kComparing the size of this cofactor with that for the case S = N, we find that the expected value
for log(r) is smaller byX 1log(q).
(5.9)
δ=
f (q, S) −q−1
q∈P,q<k

Knuth and Trapp-Pardo then argue that, since the log size of the cofactor is smaller by δ, thenumber s is as likely smooth as a random integer smaller by a factor eδ in value.
For the P–1 algorithm,

X 
q
1
δP–1 =−
log(q)(q − 1)2 q − 1
q∈P,q<k=X

q∈P,q<k1log(q),(q − 1)2

which is approximately 1.22697 for k → ∞.
For the P+1 algorithm with x0 = 6/5, the group order is always divisible by 4. The average
exponent of primes in the group order is as in P–1, except for the exponent of 2 which is
3 on average instead of 2, giving δP+1,4 = δP–1 + log(2) ≈ 1.92012. With x0 = 2/7, theChapter 5. Parameter selection for P–1, P+1, and ECM

102group order is divisible by 6, increasing the average exponent of 3 from 3/4 to 3/2, so that
δP+1,6 = δP–1 + 3/4 log(3) ≈ 2.05093.
For ECM it is more difficult to give a theoretical estimate for the average exponent of small
primes in the group order, although Montgomery [67, 6.3] proposes conjectures for the exponentof 2 and 3 in the group order in curves with rational torsion 12 or 16. The approximate δ value for
ECM has been determined experimentally by computing the average exponent as in Table 5.1,
but extended to primes up to 100:

δ
eδ

5.3.3

ECM σ = 2
3.134
22.97

ECM σ = 11
3.372
29.14

ECM torsion 12
3.373
29.17

ECM torsion 16
3.420
30.57

Success Probability for the Two-Stage Algorithm

The P–1, P+1, and ECM factoring algorithms work in two stages, where stage 1 finds a factor
p if the order |Gp | of the respective group over p is B1 -smooth, and stage 2 finds p if the ordercontains one prime factor q with B1 < q ≤ B2 , and the cofactor |Gp |/q is B1 -smooth. Assumingthat a stage 2 prime q divides the order with probability 1/q, the probability of a factoring
method finding a factor can therefore be computed as
P (Neff , B1 , B2 ) = ρ̂log(Neff )log(B1 )Neff +

X

B1<q≤B2q∈Pρ̂log(Neff /q)log(B1 )Neff /q,(5.10)

where Neff = N e−δ is the approximate size of p, adjusted by the δ parameter for the respective
factoring algorithm as described in Section 5.3.2. For sufficiently large B1 and B2 , the sum canbe replaced by an integral as shown for example in [15], but in our case where these parameters
are quite small, the sum produces significantly more accurate results and is still acceptably fastto evaluate.

5.3.4

Experimental Results

We compare the ratio of prime factors being found by P–1, P+1, and the Elliptic Curve
Methodwith the estimate
produced by Equation (5.10). For n = 25, 26 we test
 primes in n
2 − 106 , 2n + 106 and for each 27 ≤ n ≤ 32 we test primes in 2n − 107 , 2n + 107 with the P–
1 method, P+1 with x0 = 6/5 and x0 = 2/7, and ECM with the Brent-Suyama parametrization
with σ = 2 as well as the parametrization for curves with rational 12 and 16 torsion, and record
the ratio of primes found by the respective method. The Brent-Suyama parametrization withσ = 11 behaves identically to that of curves with rational 12-torsion. The B1 and B2 parameters
for P–1 and P+1 are chosen as in Table 4.9 and all ECM parametrizations use the B1 and B2
values from Table 4.10.
The largest relative error of about 3% occurs for P–1 with n = 25, but most errors are below
1%. It is somewhat surprising how accurate the results are, considering that estimating thedensity of y-smooth numbers around x by ρ̂(log(x)/ log(y)) includes a rather large error term
for small values of x. From a purely pragmatic point of view, however, we may be content withusing (5.10) as an easily computable and, for the range of parameters we are interested in, very
accurate estimate of the probability of success for our factoring algorithms.

5.4. Distribution of Divisors
P–1
n
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32

Est.
0.242
0.217
0.186
0.166
0.148
0.157
0.126
0.104

Emp.
0.249
0.220
0.186
0.167
0.149
0.158
0.128
0.105

P+1
x0 = 6/5
x0 = 7/2
Est. Emp. Est. Emp.
0.287 0.289 0.297 0.299
0.259 0.258 0.267 0.265
0.220 0.221 0.226 0.227
0.198 0.197 0.204 0.203
0.177 0.177 0.183 0.183
0.186 0.186 0.190 0.191
0.150 0.150 0.154 0.155
0.124 0.126 0.128 0.129

103

σ=2
Est. Emp.
0.336 0.337
0.275 0.276
0.271 0.271
0.238 0.237
0.203 0.207
0.177 0.178
0.170 0.172
0.136 0.137

ECM
12 torsion
Est. Emp.
0.358 0.359
0.295 0.297
0.291 0.290
0.256 0.256
0.218 0.220
0.189 0.188
0.182 0.182
0.147 0.147

16 torsion
Est. Emp.
0.363 0.359
0.299 0.298
0.291 0.291
0.255 0.254
0.217 0.216
0.189 0.190
0.183 0.182
0.145 0.144

Table 5.3: Comparison of estimated probability of finding a prime factor close to 2n with the
P–1, P+1, and ECM algorithm with empirical results. The choice of parameters is described in
the text

5.4

Distribution of Divisors

In Section 5.3 we estimate the probability that a factoring method finds a factor of a certain size
if it exists. To estimate the expected number of factors the method finds for an input number
N , we also need the expected number of such factors in N , taking into account the available
information on the number: its size, that it is composite, and that it has no prime factors up to
the factor base bound used for sieving. That is, we would like to compute the expected number ofprime factors p with p ∈ [z1 , z2 ] of a composite N , chosen uniformly at random from the integers
in [N1 , N2 ] that have no prime factors up to y. To do so, we need to estimate the number ofintegers up to a bound that have no small prime factors.
Let
T (x, y) = {n ∈ N, 1 ≤ n ≤ x : p ∈ P, p | x ⇒ p > y},Φ(x, y) = |T (x, y)|x ≥ y ≥ 2,

(5.11)(5.12)

be the set of positive integers up to x having no small prime factors up to y (which always
includes 1 in T (x, y)) and the number of such integers, respectively.
Much like Dickman’s function ρ(u), with u = log(x)/ log(y) throughout, can be used toestimate the number Ψ(x, y) of positive integers up to x that have no large prime factor abovey, the Buchstab function ω(u) can be used to estimate Φ(x, y). Tenenbaum [96, III.6.2] showsthat
(5.13)
Φ(x, y) = (xω(u) − y)/ log(y) + O x/ log(y)2 for x1/3 ≤ y ≤ x.
This estimate is reasonably accurate for large u and y, but not for small u > 2. Since wefrequently need to treat composites that have only two relatively large prime factors, we needan estimate that is more accurate for 2 < u < 3, which is described in 5.4.2.

5.4.1

Evaluating ω(u)The Buchstab ω(u) function is defined by
(
1/u
1≤u≤2
R u−1
ω(u) =(1 + 1 ω(t) dt)/u u > 2.

(5.14)

Chapter 5. Parameter selection for P–1, P+1, and ECM

104
1
0.95
0.9
0.85
0.8
0.75
0.7
0.65
0.6
0.55
0.5

ω(u)
exp(γ)

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Figure 5.2: The Buchstab function ω(u) for 1 ≤ u ≤ 4, and the limiting value eγ ≈ 0.56146.
Figure 5.2 shows the graph for 1 ≤ u ≤ 4.
Like the Dickman function, the Buchstab function can be expressed in logarithms and thedilogarithm for small u values:


1≤u≤2
1/u
ω(u) = (1 + log(u − 1))/u
2<u≤3



2
Li2 (2 − u) + (1 + log(u − 2)) log(u − 1) + π /12 + 1 /u 3 < u ≤ 4.

(5.15)

However, unlike the Dickman function ρ(u) which monotonously tends to 0 for u → ∞, theBuchstab function ω(u) oscillatingly tends to e−γ and has almost reached this limit for u = 4
already, with relative error only −2.2 · 10−6 . This greatly simplifies the evaluation for ω(u) for
our application, as using ω(u) = e−γ for u > 4 is sufficiently accurate for our purposes, and forsmaller u values the closed forms of (5.15) can be used.
The methods of Marsaglia and Zaman [63] can be readily applied to the Buchstab ω(u)function if highly accurate results for large u are required.

5.4.2

Estimating Φ(x, y)

Equation (5.13) is not sufficiently accurate for some small values of u = log(x)/ log(y). For
example, Φ(109 , 15000) = 54298095, but (5.13) estimates 55212172. This estimate has a relative
error of only 1.7%, but we need the number of composites with no small prime factors, and after
subtracting π(109 ) − π(15000) = 50845780, the number of primes between 15000 and 109 from
both, the correct value is 3452315 while the estimate is 4366392 with 26% relative error.
Fortunately a better estimate is given in [96, III, 6.4]:
Φ(x, y) ≈ xeγ log(y)ζ(1, y)Z u−10

ω(u − v)y −v dv.

(5.16)

Using x = y u , (5.16) can be rewritten aseγ log(y)Φ(x, y) ≈ζ(1, y).

Z u1

ω(v)y v dv.

(5.17)

5.4. Distribution of Divisors

105

y

u

Φ(109 , y)

1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
10000
15000
20000

3
2.73
2.59
2.50
2.43
2.25
2.16
2.09

81515102
73931443
69618529
66671714
64375942
57680218
54298095
52354286

Estimateby (5.13)
81702575
74604335
70581865
67774139
65618739
59021636
5521217252522945

Rel. error
in percent
0.23
0.91
1.4
1.7
1.9
2.3
1.7
0.32

Estimateby (5.16)
81540712
7396420169649564
66688977
64392876
57679743
54278816
52330198

Rel. error
in percent
0.031
0.044
0.045
0.026
0.026
−0.00082−0.036−0.046

Table 5.4: The number Φ(109 , y) of positive integers up to 109 without prime divisors up to y
and comparison to estimates based on Buchstab’s functionQ
By Mertens’ 3rd Theorem, 1/ζ(1, y) = p∈P,p≤y (1−1/p) ≈ 1/(eγ log(y)) and for our purpose
where y is the factor base bound and hence in the millions, the estimate by Mertens’ theorem isaccurate enough (for y = 106 , the relative error is 0.03%) and we can simplify (5.17) toΦ(x, y) ≈Z log(x)/ log(y)ω(v)y v dv.

(5.18)

1

This estimate gives Φ(109 , 15000) ≈ 54319245 with relative error only 0.039%, and after subtracting π(109 ) − π(15000), the relative error is still only 0.6%. Table 5.4 shows the values ofΦ(109 , y) for other y-values and compares them to the estimate using (5.17) (since these y-values
are rather small, the simplified form (5.18) introduces a noticeable error).

5.4.3

Divisors in Numbers with no Small Prime Factors

We would like to estimate the total number
X
X
D(x, y, z1 , z2 ) =Valp (n),n∈T (x,y)p∈P
z1 <p≤z2x ≥ z2 ≥ z1 ≥ y ≥ 2(5.19)of prime divisors p ∈ ]z1 , z2 ] with multiplicity among positive integers up to x that have no prime
factors up to y. A hint towards the solution is Buchstab’s identity [96, §6.2, (14)]X X
Φ(x, y) = 1 +Φ(x/pν , p)p∈P ν≥1y<p≤xwhich partitions T (x, y) into {1} and sets of integers divisible by a prime p > y and by no otherprime q ≤ p, for y < p ≤ x. For our problem, however, we would like to count integers whichcontain several prime factors (possibly as powers) from ]z1 , z2 ] with multiplicity. This leads toX X
Φ(x/pν , y)D(x, y, z1 , z2 ) =p∈P ν≥1
z1 <p≤z2

which for each prime z1 < p ≤ z2 counts the positive integers kpν ≤ x such that k has no prime
factor up to y, i.e., k ∈ T (x/pν , y).

Chapter 5. Parameter selection for P–1, P+1, and ECM

106z1
1 · 1072 · 107
3 · 107
4 · 107
5 · 107
6 · 107
7 · 107
8 · 107
9 · 107
10 · 10715 · 107
20 · 107
25 · 10730 · 10735 · 107
40 · 10745 · 10750 · 107

D(1018 + 1011 , 107 , z1 , z1 + 107 )−D(1018 , 107 , z1 , z1 + 107 )
168541774
97523916
68793931
53152172
43292469
36540046
31578964
27811212
24867513
22475389
15144159
11429968
91682497665357657327157589375123766
4609652

Estimateusing (5.20)
168537797
97542736
68800701
53155498
43305316
36531701
31587779
27820533
24854715
22459308
15150750
11427841
9172594
7660398
6576127
576073351252774616138

Rel. error
in percent−0.002
0.02
0.01
0.006
0.03
−0.02
0.03
0.03
−0.05
−0.07
0.04
−0.02
0.05
−0.06
0.04
0.03
0.03
0.1

Table 5.5: The number D(1018 + 1010 , 107 , z1 , z1 + 107 ) − D(1018 ,107 , z1 , z1 + 107 ) of prime
factors z1 < p ≤ z1 + 107 with multiplicity among the integers in 1018 , 1018 + 1010 without
prime divisors up to 107 , and comparison to estimates using (5.20).
If z1 is reasonably large, the contribution of prime powers (ν > 1) is quite small and can beomitted for an approximate result. By replacing the resulting sum by an integral over (5.18), we
obtainZ z2
Φ(x/t, y)/ log(t)dt
D(x, y, z1 , z2 ) ≈z1!
Z u−log(t)/ log(y)Z z21v
ω(v)y dv dt,(5.20)≈
1
z1 log(t)where u = log(x)/ log(y).
By D(x2 , y, z1 , z2 ) − D(x1 , y, z1 , z2 ) we can estimate the number of prime factors p withz1 < p ≤ z2 among numbers N ∈ [x1 , x2 ] that have no prime factors up to y. Table 5.5 compares
this estimate with experimental counts for parameters of approximately the magnitude as mightoccur in the Number Field Sieve: we consider composites in [1018 ,1018 +1010 ] that have no prime
7
7
7
factors up to 10 , and estimate the number of prime factors in i · 10 , (i + 1) · 10 for some iup to 50. The estimates in this table are remarkably accurate, with relative error mostly below
0.1%.

Conclusion
Here we briefly summarize the results of the individual chapters of the thesis.
Schönhage-Strassen’s algorithm is among the fastest integer multiplication algorithms thatuse only√ integer arithmetic. Significant speedups can be gained by improving cache-locality,
using 2 as a root of unity in the transform to double the possible transform length, mixing
Mersenne and Fermat transforms at the top-most recursion level, and fine-grained parameterselection depending on input number size. These improvements combined resulted in a factor 2
speedup over the implementation of Schönhage-Strassen’s algorithm in GMP version 4.1.4, on
which our implementation is based.
The P–1 and P+1 factoring methods allow a particularly fast implementation for stage 2 of
the algorithms. It is based on polynomial multi-point evaluation. The polynomial to be evaluatedcan be built from its roots much more quickly than with a general product tree by exploiting
patterns in the roots. With suitably chosen roots it is a reciprocal Laurent polynomial, and suchpolynomials can be stored using half the space, and can be multiplied with a weighted Fouriertransform in about half the time, as general polynomials of the same degree. The multi-point
evaluation of the polynomial is particularly efficient for the P-1 algorithm, requiring essentiallyonly one cyclic convolution product. It can be adapted to the P+1 algorithm, but needs to workin a quadratic extension ring, increasing memory use and computation time. The new code isdistributed as part of GMP-ECM version 6.2 and later.
The sieving step is in practice the most computationally expensive step of the Number Field
Sieve. The cofactorization during the sieving can be performed efficiently with the P–1, P+1, andECM algorithms. We have designed a software implementation optimized for low-overhead, highthroughput factorization of small integers that is competitive in terms of cost/performance-ratiowith proposed FPGA implementations of ECM for NFS.
The following ideas may be worth considering for further research.
The excellent performance of convolutions with a complex floating-point FFT for integer
multiplication is intriguing, but requiring guaranteed correct rounding would greatly increase
the necessary transform length and thus run-time. A promising idea is to use the SchönhageStrassen algorithm only at the top-most recursive level, and compute the point-wise nega-cyclic
convolutions with a complex floating-point FFT. The relatively short length of those FFTs
should make an implementation with correct rounding feasible without too great a sacrifice in
speed.
for integer multiplication has slightly better asymptotic complexity of" Fürer’s algorithm∗O n log(n)2log (n) than Schönhage-Strassen’s with complexity O(n log(n) log(log(n))). Which
one is faster in practice? No well-optimized implementation of Fürer’s algorithm seems to exist
at the time of writing, and creating one might be worthwhile.
Schönhage and Strassen conjecture in the paper introducing their algorithm that the complex107

108

Conclusion

ity for an optimal integer multiplication algorithm should be O(n log(n)), but no such algorithm
is known so far, although Fürer’s algorithm shortened the gap. Discovery of such an algorithm
would be an exiting result for computational complexity theory, and if fast in practice, of greatvalue in large-integer arithmetic.
Is a stage 2 for ECM possible that is similarly fast as stage 2 for P–1 and P+1? Currently
it is not clear how it might work, as for P–1 and P+1 the rapid construction of a polynomialfrom its roots and the multi-point evaluation use the fact that Z/N Z (or a quadratic extension
for P+1) has ring structure which is not present in the group of points on an elliptic curve. But
maybe another novel approach might oﬀer a signiﬁcant speedup for the ECM stage 2.
Factoring small integers with P-1, P+1, and ECM with a software implementation on a
general-purpose CPU was found to be very competitive with implementations of ECM in FPGAs,
but alternative computing hardware such as graphics cards that support general purpose programming oﬀer vast amounts of processing power at consumer prices which may give them theadvantage. A complete implementation of ECM with stage 1 and stage 2 on graphics cards would
be interesting; if it should turn out to be too diﬃcult due to restricted memory, doing stage 1
on the graphics card and stage 2 on the CPU might be feasible.
Parameters can be chosen accurately for cofactorization with P–1, P+1, and ECM to maximise the ratio of probability of success versus time for one individual method and one composite
number. However, pairs of composites that both must be smooth to form a relation need to befactored in the sieving step of NFS, and generally a succession of factoring methods needs to betried to obtain the factorization of each. How can we choose a sequence of factoring attempts
on the two numbers so that a conclusion, either by factoring both or ﬁnding at least one (probably) not smooth, is reached as quickly as possible? This choice should take into account theeﬀect of unsuccessful factoring attempts on the expected number of factors of a given size in thecomposite number.

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Abstract
This thesis explores improvements to well-known algorithms for integer multiplication andfactorization.
The Schönhage-Strassen algorithm for integer multiplication, published in 1971, was the ﬁrst
to achieve complexity O(n log(n) log(log(n))) for multiplication of n-bit numbers and is stillamong the fastest in practice. It reduces integer multiplication to multiplication of polynomials
over ﬁnite rings which allow the use of the Fast Fourier Transform for computing the convolution
product. In joint work with Gaudry and Zimmermann, we describe an eﬃcient implementation of the algorithm based on the GNU Multiple Precision arithmetic library, improving cacheutilization, parameter selection and convolution length for the polynomial multiplication overprevious implementations, resulting in nearly 2-fold speedup.
The P–1 and P+1 factoring algorithms ﬁnd a prime factor p of a composite number quickly
if p − 1, respectively p + 1, contains no large prime factors. They work in two stages: the ﬁrst
step computes a high power g1 of an element g0 of a ﬁnite group deﬁned over Fp , respectively
Fp2 , the second stage looks for a collision of powers of g1 which can be performed eﬃciently via
polynomial multi-point evaluation. In joint work with Peter Lawrence Montgomery, we present
an improved stage 2 for these algorithms with faster construction of the required polynomial andvery memory-eﬃcient evaluation, increasing the practical search limit for the largest permissible
prime in p − 1, resp. p + 1, approximately 100-fold over previous implementations.
The Number Field Sieve (NFS) is the fastest known factoring algorithm for “hard” integers
where the factors have no properties that would make them easy to ﬁnd. In particular, themodulus of the RSA encryption system is chosen to be a hard composite integer, and its factorization breaks the encryption. Great eﬀorts are therefore made to improve NFS in order toassess the security of RSA accurately. We give a brief overview of the NFS and its history. In
the sieving phase of NFS, a great many smaller integers must be factored. We present in detail an implementation of the P–1, P+1, and Elliptic Curve methods of factorization optimized
for high-throughput factorization of small integers. Finally, we show how parameters for thesealgorithms can be chosen accurately, taking into account the distribution of prime factors in
integers produced by NFS to obtain an accurate estimate of ﬁnding a prime factor with given
parameters.

Keywords: Arithmetic, Integer Multiplication, Integer Factoring, Elliptic Curves, Number Field
Sieve

RésuméCette thèse propose des améliorations aux problèmes de la multiplication et de la factorisationd’entier.
L’algorithme de Schönhage-Strassen pour la multiplication d’entier, publié en 1971, fut lepremier à atteindre une complexité de O(n log(n) log(log(n))) pour multiplier deux entiers den bits, et reste parmi les plus rapides en pratique. Il réduit la multiplication d’entier à cellede polynôme sur un anneau ﬁni, en utilisant la transformée de Fourier rapide pour calculer leproduit de convolution. Dans un travail commun avec Gaudry et Zimmermann, nous décrivons
une implantation eﬃcace de cet algorithme, basée sur la bibliothèque GNU MP; par rapport aux
travaux antérieurs, nous améliorons l’utilisation de la mémoire cache, la sélection des paramètres
et la longueur de convolution, ce qui donne un gain d’un facteur 2 environ.
Les algorithmes P–1 et P+1 trouvent un facteur p d’un entier composé rapidement si p − 1,
respectivement p+1, ne contient pas de grand facteur premier. Ces algorithmes comportent deux
phases : la première phase calcule une grande puissance g1 d’un élément g0 d’un groupe ﬁni déﬁni
sur Fp , respectivement Fp2 , la seconde phase cherche une collision entre puissances de g1 , qui est
trouvée de manière eﬃcace par évaluation-interpolation de polynômes. Dans un travail avec Peter
Lawrence Montgomery, nous proposons une amélioration de la seconde phase de ces algorithmes,
avec une construction plus rapide des polynômes requis, et une consommation mémoire optimale,ce qui permet d’augmenter la limite pratique pour le plus grand facteur premier de p − 1, resp.
p + 1, d’un facteur 100 environ par rapport aux implantations antérieures.
Le crible algébrique (NFS) est le meilleur algorithme connu pour factoriser des entiers dont les
facteurs n’ont aucune propriété permettant de les trouver rapidement. En particulier, le module
du système RSA de chiﬀrement est choisi de telle sorte, et sa factorisation casse le système. De
nombreux eﬀorts ont ainsi été consentis pour améliorer NFS, de façon à établir précisément lasécurité de RSA. Nous donnons un bref aperçu de NFS et de son historique. Lors de la phasede crible de NFS, de nombreux petits entiers doivent être factorisés. Nous présentons en détail
une implantation de P–1, P+1, et de la méthode ECM basée sur les courbes elliptiques, qui est
optimisée pour de tels petits entiers. Finalement, nous montrons comment les paramètres deces algorithmes peuvent être choisis ﬁnement, en tenant compte de la distribution des facteurs
premiers dans les entiers produits par NFS, et de la probabilité de trouver des facteurs premiersd’une taille donnée.
Mots-clés: Arithmétique, multiplication des entiers, factorisation des entiers, courbes elliptiques, crible algébrique(English abstract on inside back cover)Département de formation doctorale en informatique
UFR STMIA

École doctorale IAEM LorraineAméliorations de la multiplication etde la factorisation d’entier

THÈSEprésentée et soutenue publiquement le 28 janvier 2010pour l’obtention duDoctorat de l’université Henri Poincaré – Nancy 1(spécialité informatique)parAlexander Kruppa

Composition du jury
Rapporteurs :Karim Belabas (Professeur, Université Bordeaux 1)
Antoine Joux (Professeur associé (P.A.S.T.), Université de Versailles)

Membres du jury :Isabelle Debled-Rennesson (Maı̂tre de conférences, Université Henri Poincaré)
Marc Joye (Cryptographer, Thomson R&D)
Arjen Lenstra (Professeur, EPFL)
Herman te Riele (Directeur de Recherche, CWI)Paul Zimmermann (Directeur de Recherche, INRIA)

Laboratoire Lorrain de Recherche en Informatique et ses Applications — UMR 7503

Mis en page avec la classe thloria.

Table des matières
Liste des tableauxv1Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1

2

Multiplication entière par l’algorithme de Schönhage-Strassen . . . . . . .

6

2.1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6

2.2

Améliorations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8

2.3

Résultats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

4

Une version améliorée de l’étape 2 des algorithmes de factorisation P±1 . . 12
3.1

L’algorithme P-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3.2

L’algorithme P+1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3.3

Nouvelle approche pour l’étape 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3.4

Sélection de S1 et S2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

3.5

Polynômes de Laurent réciproques et convolution pondérée . . . . . 14

3.6

Calcul des coefficients de f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

3.7

Évaluation polynomiale multipoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

3.8

Notre implémentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3.9

Quelques résultats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Factorisation des petits entiers par P–1, P+1 et ECM dans le crible algébrique 18
4.1

Algorithme P–1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

4.2

Algorithme P+1

4.3

Algorithme ECM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4.4

Phase 2 pour P–1, P+1 et ECM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4.5

Comparaison avec des implantations matérielles d’ECM . . . . . . . 20

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Bibliographie

23

i

ii

Table des matières

Table des figures
1
2
3

Diagramme des applications dans l’algorithme de Schönhage-Strassen. . . . 6
Temps pour la multiplication avec une FFT de longueur 2k pour k = 5, 6, 7. 11
Comparaison de GMP 4.1.4, GMP 4.2.1, Magma V2.13-6 et le nouveau code 12

iii

iv

Table des figures

Liste des tableaux1234Grands facteurs P ± 1 découverts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Temps moyen en microsecondes et probabilité de trouver des facteurs premiers avec P–1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Temps moyen en microsecondes et probabilité par courbe de trouver desfacteurs premiers avec ECM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comparaison d’ECM avec B1 = 910, B2 = 57000 pour des nombres de 126
et 135 bits, sur un FPGA Virtex4SX25-10 et sur des processeurs AMD 64
bits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

v

18
21
21

22

vi

Liste des tableaux1. Introduction

1

1

Introduction

La multiplication des entiers est utilisée dans pratiquement tous les algorithmes arithmétiques, et les problèmes en théorie algorithmique des nombres demandent en particulier
des multiplications entre nombres entiers très grands. La factorisation d’entiers est un desproblèmes fondamentaux dans la théorie des nombres et a gagné une importance pratique remarquable avec l’apparition du système de chiffrement à clé publique RSA dontla sécurité dépend de la difficulté du problème de la factorisation. Cette thèse présente
des améliorations à l’algorithme de Schönhage-Strassen de multiplication d’entiers, auxméthodes P–1 et P+1 de factorisation, qui trouvent rapidement des facteurs premiers plorsque p − 1 ou p + 1 n’ont pas de grand facteur premier, et au crible algébrique (NFS,
Number Field Sieve en anglais) qui est l’algorithme le plus rapide asymptotiquement pourfactoriser des entiers composés qui n’ont pas de facteur premier facile à trouver, commeceux qu’on trouve dans les applications cryptographiques.
La multiplication d’entiers se trouve partout, et la multiplication de longs entiers
arrive suffisamment fréquemment dans le calcul scientifique qu’il est surprenant que le premier algorithme dont la complexité binaire est strictement inférieure à O(n2 ), complexité
demandée par la méthode naïve, n’a été découvert qu’en 1962. Cette année, Karatsuba
et Ofman [13] ont montré comment réduire la multiplication de nombres de n bits à trois
multiplications de nombres de n/2 bits, en atteignant une complexité asymptotique deO(n1.585 ). Une année plus tard, Toom [27] a généralisé l’algorithme de Karatsuba et Ofman en exprimant d’abord la multiplication des entiers en termes de multiplication depolynômes, puis en utilisant l’évaluation des polynômes, la multiplication point à point,
et l’interpolation pour calculer le polynôme produit. Ceci permet de réduire le calcul à
2k − 1 multiplications de n/k bits chacune, avec un coût asymptotique en O(nlogk (2k−1) )pour k fixé. En principe, ceci permet n’importe quel exposant 1 + ǫ dans la fonction decoût asymptotique, cependant un k grand n’est pas efficace pour des entrées de tailles
observées en pratique car le coût de l’évaluation et de l’interpolation domine. En 1971,
Schönhage et Strassen [25] ont essentiellement résolu le problème de la multiplication
rapide d’entiers en utilisant la transformée de Fourier rapide (FFT, Fast Fourier Transform en anglais), introduite par Cooley et Tukey en 1965 [8], pour effectuer le produit deconvolution sous-jacent. La complexité de leur méthode est O(n log(n) log(log(n))) pourmultiplier des nombres de n bits. Plusieurs bibliotheques arithmétiques multiprécision
offrent une fonction de multiplication rapide d’entiers. Parmi ces bibliotheques se trouve
la bibliotheque GNU Multiple Precision (GMP) [12], développée principalement par Torbjörn Granlund. Elle est largement utilisée et connue pour être exceptionnellement rapide,grâce au choix soucieux des algorithmes et à une implantation très optimisée. Elle utilise
l’algorithme de Schönhage-Strassen pour la multiplication d’entiers longs. Une application
où la multiplication de grands entiers de GMP est utilisée de manière intensive est GMPECM [29], une implémentation des méthodes P–1, P+1, et de la méthode des courbes
elliptiques (ECM, Elliptic Curve Method en anglais), développée principalement par Paul
Zimmermann.
La factorisation des entiers est un problème ancien en théorie des nombres. Actuellement ce n’est plus un problème d’intérêt exclusivement académique. En fait, il est
devenu une préoccupation d’une importance économique certaine avec la publication du2

Liste des tableauxtrès célèbre système de chiffrement à clé publique RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) [23],dont la sécurité répose sur la difficulté du problème de la factorisation des grands entiers.
Le petit théorème de Fermat nous dit que
ap−1 ≡ 1(mod p)pour tout nombre premier p tel que p ∤ a. Euler a étendu ce théorème aux nombres
composés, de sorte queaφ(N ) ≡ 1 (mod N )lorsque gcd(a, N ) = 1, où φ(N ) est la fonction indicatrice d’Euler, définie parφ(pν11 · · · pνkk ) = (p1 − 1)pν11 −1 · · · (pk − 1)pνkk −1
où p1 , . . . , pk sont des nombres premiers distincts et ν1 , . . . , νk des entiers positifs. Ainsi,étant donnée la factorisation de N en nombres premiers, φ(N ) se calcule facilement. RSA
utilise une clé publique pour chiffrer. Cette clé est constituée par un entier impair composé
N = pq – appelé module –, où p et q sont des nombres premiers d’à peu près la mêmetaille, et d’un exposant public e. Pour déchiffrer, il utilise une clé privée, constituée dumême module N , ainsi que d’un entier d tel quede ≡ 1(mod φ(N )),c’est-à-dire, de = kφ(N ) + 1 pour un certain entier k. RSA chiffre un message exprimé
par un entier 1 < m < N par l’opérationc = me mod N,
et déchiffre c pour retrouver le message original par l’opération
cd mod N = mde mod N = mkφ(N )+1 mod N = m.
La factorisation du module N permet de retrouver efficacement d. Factoriser N revient
donc à casser le système de chiffrement. Les clés de RSA doivent donc être choisies de tellemanière qu’il soit pratiquement impossible de factoriser le module pendant la durée devie qu’on prétend lui donner, et ce avec des ressources de calcul importantes, en utilisantles meilleurs algorithmes connus.
Les algorithmes de factorisation peuvent se diviser en deux classes : algorithmes ad hoc,
et algorithmes génériques. Les premiers utilisent des propriétés spécifiques des facteurs
premiers du nombre reçu en entrée, typiquement leur taille, et le temps d’exécution de ces
algorithmes dépend moins de la taille du nombre reçu en entrée (il en dépend à peu prèsde la même manière que la multiplication des entiers), que des propriétés de ses facteurs
premiers.
Le temps d’exécution des algorithmes génériques dépend presque exclusivement de la
taille du nombre reçu en entrée, et non pas des propriétés de ses facteurs premiers.
La taille des clés RSA est choisie de sorte à ce que les clés soient résistantes aux
algorithmes ad hoc, et donc que leur sécurité dépende uniquement de la performance desalgorithmes génériques.

1. Introduction

3

Le meilleur algorithme générique connu pour factoriser un module RSA est le crible
algébrique (NFS, Number Field Sieve en anglais), avec une complexité conjecturée en
LN [1/3, (64/9)1/3 ], oùα1−αLx [α, c] = e(c+o(1)) log(x) log(log(x)) .
Le coût de factorisation à l’aide du crible algébrique est le critère principal pour évaluer
la sécurité associée aux tailles des clés RSA.
Malgré leur impuissance pour de casser un module RSA, les algorithmes ad hoc présentent encore un grand intérêt, d’abord pour factoriser des nombres qui ne sont pas desclés RSA et qui peuvent avoir des facteurs plus faciles à trouver, et puis en tant que
sous-routine du crible algébrique.
Un concept central dans les algorithmes modernes de factorisation est la friabilité : unentier est dit B-friable lorsqu’aucun de ses facteurs premiers n’excède B, et B-superfriable
si aucune des puissances de nombre premier le divisant n’excède B.
L’algorithme P–1 publié par Pollard en 1974 [21] a été le premier d’une classe d’algorithmes de factorisation ad hoc qui trouvent un facteur premier p de N rapidement sil’ordre d’un certain groupe fini défini sur Fp est friable. Dans le cas de l’algorithme P–1,
le groupe est simplement le groupe des unités de Fp , qui est d’ordre p − 1.
L’étape 1 de cet algorithme choisit un entier x0 premier avec N et calcule xe0 mod N ,où e est un multiple de chaque nombre premier et puissance de premier n’excédant pas
une borne B1 choisie. Si p − 1 est B1 -superfriable et donc divise e, alors xe0 ≡ 1 (mod p),
et pgcd(xe0 − 1, N ) revèle p sauf lorsque ce pgcd est composé. Pollard propose en plus uneétape 2 qui consiste à chercher une collision modulo p entre certaines puissances de xe0 , cequi lui permet de trouver des facteurs premiers p où p − 1 possède unique facteur premier
entre B1 et une deuxième borne B2 , mais dont le reste est B1-superfriable. Il montre qu’un√facteur premier p peut se trouver en temps O pM (log(N )) si la détection de la collision
est faite par évaluation polynomiale multi-points, avec une routine de multiplication rapide
basée sur la FFT.
Williams [28] étend l’idée P–1 de Pollard à la méthode P+1 qui trouve un nombre
premier p rapidement si p − 1 ou p + 1 est friable. Parfois, les méthodes P–1 et P+1
trouvent des facteurs d’une taille surprenante si p − 1 ou p + 1 est suffisamment friable,mais ces méthodes sont inutiles si les deux contiennent un grand facteur premier. Par
exemple, une proportion d’environ 1 − log(2) des entiers plus petits que N est N 1/2 friable, donc à peu près la moitié des nombres premiers p de 40 chiffres ont un facteur
premier qui excède 20 chiffres simultanément dans p − 1 et p + 1, ce qui fait que ces
premiers ne sont pas traitables avec aucune de ces deux méthodes.
L’idée de Pollard d’une étape 2 asymptotiquement rapide, incluant FFT, pour l’algorithme P–1 a été implémentée pour la première fois par Montgomery et Silverman [20].
Les auteurs ont suggéré plusieurs idées pour accélérer encore plus leur algorithme, et pourl’adapter à la méthode P+1.
L’algorithme ad hoc de factorisation le plus rapide est connu sous le nom de méthodedes courbes elliptiques (ECM, Elliptic Curve Method en anglais) et a été introduit par
H.W. Lenstra Jr. [17]. Il peut être vu comme une généralisation de P–1 et de P+1 dansle sens qu’il travaille dans le groupe associé à une courbe elliptique définie sur Fp avec√√
un ordre de groupe dans [p − 2 p + 1, p + 2 p + 1], et qui dépend des paramètres de4

Liste des tableaux

la courbe. Cette approche a comme avantage principal que l’on peut essayer différentes
courbes jusqu’à ce que l’on trouve une courbe avec un ordre de groupe friable. Avec
un choix optimal des paramètres, ECM a une complexité conjecturéede Lp [1/2, 2], pour√trouver un facteur premier p, ce qui dans le pire des cas p ≈ N , implique une complexitéde LN [1/2, 1], ce qui en fait le seul algorithme ad hoc dont le temps d’exécution est sousexponentiel. Brent [6] et Montgomery [18] ont présenté des extensions pour l’étape 2d’ECM, et Montgomery [20] a développé une étape 2 qui utilise la FFT.
Malgré le fait qu’ECM a une complexité asymptotique très supérieure à celle des méthodes P–1 et P+1, et que ces deux méthodes fonctionnent, dans un certain sens, commedeux essais particuliers pour trouver un groupe d’ordre friable parmi l’infinité d’essais
possibles permis par ECM, les méthodes anciennes ont des avantages qui les rendent compétitives. Un de ces avantages est leur vitesse pure. L’arithmétique pendant l’étape 1 est
beaucoup plus simple pour P–1 et P+1 que pour ECM de sorte qu’avec des paramètres
comparables, le temps processeur utilisé est moindre. Un autre avantage est que pour P–1
et P+1, une étape 2 beaucoup plus rapide, fondée sur la FFT, est possible, puisque Z/N Z(ou une extension quadratique de celui-ci pour P+1) a une structure d’anneau, ce qui n’est
pas le cas pour le groupe des points d’une courbe elliptique. La structure d’anneau permetd’utiliser un algorithme d’évaluation polynomial multi-points très efficace, en permettant
que l’étape 2 fonctionne avec beaucoup moins de temps processeur et de mémoire que ce
qui est possible pour l’extension FFT de ECM. Finalement, pour certaines entrées, onsait que p − 1 possède un diviseur n (e.g., les nombres cyclotomiques φn (x) pour n, x ∈ N,
sauf si p | n), ce qui augmente la probabilité de friabilité de (p − 1)/n. Ces avantages fontconclure qu’il est très raisonnable de donner une chance à P–1 et à P+1 avant de passer
à la plus puissante méthode ECM.
À présent, la méthode la plus rapide pour attaquer des modules RSA (ou d’autres
nombres sans petits facteurs ou sans facteurs trouvables par d’autres moyens) est le crible
algébrique (NFS, Number Field Sieve en anglais). Il a été proposé par Pollard en 1988 [22]et initialement demandait que l’entier à factoriser soit d’une forme algébrique simple, telleque an ± c avec a et c petits, mais dans les années suivantes il a été étendu pour factoriser
des entiers quelconques [7]. On conjecture que le crible algébrique factorise un entier N entemps LN [1/3, c] avec c = (32/9)1/3 pour des nombres de certaines formes simples, auquel
cas l’algorithme est appelé crible algébrique spécial (SNFS, Special Number Field Sieve
en anglais) ; ou avec c = (64/9)1/3 pour des entiers quelconques, auquel cas l’algorithme
est appelé crible algébrique général (GNFS, General Number Field Sieve en anglais).
Un premier succès pour SNFS a été la factorisation du neuvième nombre de Fermat
9F9 = 22 + 1 en 1990 [16] et pour GNFS la factorisation d’un nombre de 130 chiffres
décimaux, en l’occurrence le nombre RSA-130 du défi RSA (RSA challenge en anglais) en
1996. En janvier 2010, la factorisation de plus grande taille réalisée avec SNFS était cellede 21039 − 1, effectuée en 2007 [2], alors que la meilleure performance de GNFS était lafactorisation d’un nombre RSA de 232 chiffres, en 2009 [14].
De même que d’autres algorithmes de factorisation génériques, le crible algébriquefactorise un entier N en cherchant des congruences de carrés de la forme x2 ≡ y 2 (mod N )avec x 6= ±y (mod N ), à partir desquelles un facteur non-trivial de N est obtenu en
calculant gcd(x + y, N ). Les valeurs de x et y se trouvent en collectionnant un grandensemble de “relations,” qui sont essentiellement des paires d’entiers friables, dont on

1. Introduction

5

peut choisir un sous-ensemble dont le produit par composantes est de sorte que chaquepremier apparaît avec un exposant pair, ce qui revient à dire que le produit en question
est un nombre carré.
La partie la plus gourmande en temps pour le crible algébrique (dans ses deux versions,spécial et général) est la phase de collecte de relations qui consiste à examiner un nombre
très grand de valeurs de polynômes pour trouver des valeurs friables en utilisant destechniques de crible et d’autres algorithmes de factorisation. Ici, un entier n est considéré
friable s’il contient uniquement des facteurs premiers n’excédant pas une certaine borne
B, sauf peut-être pour k entiers n’excédant pas une borne L, dite des grands premiers(large prime bound en anglais). La routine de crible renvoie les entiers n où le cofacteur
qui reste après avoir divisé par les premiers plus petits que B est suffisamment petit, parexemple en dessous de Lk . Ces cofacteurs doivent être factorisés pour tester s’il y a unfacteur premier excédant L.
La consommation mémoire pour le crible croît avec B, et pour des factorisations degrande échelle la mémoire disponible limite fréquemment B de sorte que L et parfois mêmek doivent être incrémentés pour permettre que suffisamment de valeurs soient considérées comme friables. De cette manière, un très grand nombre de cofacteurs apparaissent
pendant le crible algébrique, et des algorithmes optimisés pour la factorisation de petits nombres doivent être utilisés pour éviter que la cofactorisation ne devienne le goulotd’étranglement du processus de crible. La méthode des courbes elliptiques ou ECM est
fréquemment suggérée à ce propos [5] [10], et les méthodes P–1 et P+1 sont aussi des boncandidats.

Contributions
En collaboration avec Pierrick Gaudry et Paul Zimmermann, nous avons développé
une implémentation améliorée de l’algorithme de multiplication d’entiers de SchönhageStrassen, basée sur la version 4.1.4 du code GMP, écrit par Paul Zimmermann. La nouvelle
implémentation améliore la localité des accès au cache mémoire pendant la phase FFT,
augmente la longueur potentielle de la convolution pour une taille donnée, et fait un choix
très soigneux des longueurs de convolution ainsi que d’autres paramètres qui dépendentde la taille des nombres donnés en entrée. L’implémentation est décrite dans la section 2.
Ces améliorations ont abouti à une amélioration d’un facteur 2 par rapport au code GMP
4.1.4.
Par ailleurs, en collaboration avec Montgomery, nous avons implémenté une version
améliorée de l’étape 2 des algorithmes P–1 et P+1 qui implémente les idées de [20], ainsi
que d’autres améliorations. L’implémentation est basée sur GMP-ECM et on la décrit
dans la section 3.
Une bibliotheque pour des factorisations rapides d’entiers d’au plus 38 chiffres décimaux, en utilisant les algorithmes P–1, P+1 et ECM, a été écrite pour être utilisée dansl’implémentation du crible algébrique développée dans le cadre du projet CADO (Crible
algébrique : distribution, optimisation). Un aperçu du programme de factorisation de petits entiers se trouve dans la section 4, et son efficacité est comparée à des implémentations
matérielles de ECM en tant que routine dédiée pour le crible algébrique.

6

Liste des tableaux2Multiplication entière par l’algorithme de SchönhageStrassen

2.1

Introduction

L’algorithme de multiplication entière de Schönhage et Strassen (SSA) [25] fut lepremier à atteindre une complexité en O(N log(N ) log(log(N ))) pour la multiplication denombres de N bits. Il exprime la multiplication de deux entiers a, b comme le produit dedeux polynômes A(x), B(x) tels que a = A(2M ) et b = B(2M ) pour un certain entier M , etutilise la transformée de Fourier rapide (FFT) pour en calculer le produit de convolution
et ainsi obtenir C(x) = A(x)B(x), duquel on retrouve le produit entier via ab = C(2M ).
Les auteurs décrivent deux variantes : l’une utilise une FFT complexe en virgule flottanteet l’autre une FFT sur l’anneau fini Rn = Z/ (2n + 1) Z. Les deux algorithmes sont utilisésen pratique, mais seul le second est considéré dans la suite de ce document.
L’algorithme réduit la multiplication entière à ℓ multiplications dans Rn , pour ℓ etn bien choisis. Ces multiplications de taille réduite doivent être effectuées de manière
efficace pour parvenir à la complexité annoncée, et SSA s’appelle lui-même récursivement
dans ce but jusqu’à ce que les nombres à multiplier soient suffisamment petits pour quedes méthodes plus simples puissent être appliquées, comme la multiplication quadratiqueclassique. Pour permettre ces appels récursifs, SSA est conçu pour calculer un produit
modulo 2N + 1 pour un certain N bien choisi. Pour calculer le produit de deux entiers a
et b, on peut prendre 2N + 1 > ab pour assurer un résultat correct.
Ainsi, SSA remplace le calcul de ab dans N par le calcul de ab mod (2N + 1) dans
RN , lui-même remplacé par un produit de polynômes A(x)B(x) dans Z[x]/(xℓ + 1), et
enfin effectue ce produit de convolution dans Rn [x]/(xℓ + 1) tel que Rn se prête au calcul
de convolution négacyclique par FFT pondérée de longueur ℓ (qui calcule le produit
polynomial modulo xℓ + 1) et enfin permette de relever les coefficients de A(x)B(x) mod(xℓ + 1). La figure 1 présente cette suite de transformations.
Z =⇒RN =⇒ Z[x] mod (xℓ + 1)=⇒ Rn [x] mod (xℓ + 1)=⇒ Rn
Non, appel récursif

n assez
petit ?

Oui, multiplie
Figure 1 – Diagramme des applications dans l’algorithme de Schönhage-Strassen.
Pour a, b donnés et dont on cherche le produit modulo 2N + 1, avec 4 | N , on écrit
N = ℓM où ℓ = 2k , k ≥ 2, et on choisit un n tel que
n = ℓm,m ∈ N,(1)n ≥ 2M + k + 1.
√
Les deux conditions impliquent que n > 2N . Le choix des bonnes valeurs pour N , ℓ etn est crucial pour garantir les performances de SSA ; cette sélection est détaillée dans 2.2.

2. Multiplication entière par l’algorithme de Schönhage-Strassen

7

Puisque 2n = (2m )ℓ ≡ −1 (mod 2n +1), 2m est une racine primitive (2ℓ)-ième de l’unité
dans Rn , de telle sorte qu’il supporte la FFT pour calculer des convolutions circulairesde longueur une puissance de deux jusqu’à 2ℓ, ou la FFT pondérée pour des convolutions
négacycliques de longueur au plus ℓ.
À partir des entiers à multiplier 0 ≤ a, b < 2N + 1, on construit les polynômesA(x) =ℓ−1
X

ai xi ,

i=00 ≤ ai < 2M for 0 ≤ i < ℓ − 1(2)0 ≤ aℓ−1 ≤ 2M ,c’est-à-dire, on découpe a en ℓ morceaux de M bits chacun, sauf le dernier morceau qui
peut être égal à 2M . En faisant de même pour b, on a a = A(2M ) et b = B(2M ). Pourobtenir le produit c = ab mod (2N + 1), on peut utiliser une convolution négacyclique pourcalculer le polynôme produit C(x) = A(x)B(x) mod (xℓ + 1) de telle sorte que, lorsqueles polynômes sont évalués en x = 2M , le modulo xℓ + 1 conserve les classes d’équivalenceℓmodulo 2N + 1 = 2M + 1 du produit sur les entiers.
PiLes coefficients du polynôme produit C(x) = ℓ−1i=0 ci x peuvent être relevés de manière
exacte depuis Rn si ci mod (2n + 1) est unique pour toutes les valeurs possibles de chaqueci . De par la structure négacyclique, chaque ci peut être défini parXX
aj bi−j −aj bi−j+ℓ
ci =
0≤j≤i

i<j<ℓ

de sorte que, en utilisant les bornes de (2), il suffit de choisir 2n + 1 > 2 · 22M ℓ, ou encoren ≥ 2M + k + 1 avec ℓ = 2k . Ainsi les conditions sur n données dans (1) permettent
d’effectuer le calcul de C(x) = A(x)B(x) mod xℓ + 1 en une convolution négacyclique parune FFT pondérée sur l’anneau Rn .
Étant donnés les coefficients du polynôme produit C(x), l’entier c = C(2M ) mod(2N + 1) = ab mod (2N + 1) peut alors être calculé lors de l’étape de propagation deretenue finale.
SSA comprend ainsi cinq étapes consécutives, détaillées ci-dessous. Dans cet exemple,
les coefficients ci du polynôme produit viennent écraser les coefficients ai dans le tableaua[].
1. Décomposition de a et b et pondération
Allouer de la mémoire pour le tableau a[i], 0 ≤ i < ℓ, avec au moins n + 1 bits pourchaque élément
Affecter le i-ème morceau de M bits de a à l’élément a[i]Appliquer la pondération en affectant a[i] := wi · a[i] mod (2n + 1), w = 2n/ℓ
Faire de même pour le tableau b[]
2. Transformée de a et b
Effectuer une FFT de longueur ℓ en place sur a[], en travaillant modulo 2n + 1, etavec la racine de l’unité ω = 22n/ℓ
Faire de même pour b[]
3. Multiplication dans le domaine fréquentiel
Affecter a[i] := a[i] · b[i] mod (2n + 1) pour 0 ≤ i < ℓ8Liste des tableaux
4. Transformée inverse
Effectuer une FFT inverse de longueur ℓ en place sur a[], en travaillant modulo
2n + 1, ainsi que la division par ℓ
5. Pondération inverse, propagation de retenue−inn/ℓSupprimer la pondération
Pen affectant
 a[i] := w ·a[i] mod (2 + 1), w = 2ℓ−1
iM
Calculer la somme c =mod 2N + 1
i=0 ai 2

La plupart des idées concernant SSA présentées jusqu’ici sont tirées des articles de
Schönhage et Strassen [25], et des articles suivants de Schönhage [24]. Nous décrivons dansla suite plusieurs améliorations pratiques permettant d’utiliser SSA pour multiplier rapidement de très grands entiers sur des ordinateurs actuels. L’implémentation est basée sur
l’implémentation de SSA dans la GNU Multiple Precision arithmetic library (GMP) [12],version 4.2.1.

2.2

Améliorations

Amélioration de la longueur de la FFT
Puisque tous les facteurs premiers de 2n + 1 sont p ≡ 1 (mod√ 8) si 4 | n, 2 est
un résidu quadratique dans Rn , et il se trouve que l’expression de 2 est suffisamment
simple pour la rendre utile en tantl’unité d’ordre une puissance de deux.
 que racine de
3n/4
n/4 2
n
≡ 2 (mod 2 + 1), que l’on peut vérifier aisément en
Plus précisément, ±2∓2√développant le carré. Ainsi, étant donné n = 2k m, k ≥ 2, on peut utiliser 2 = 23n/4 −2n/4
comme racine de l’unité d’ordre 2k+2 pour doubler la longueur possible de la FFT. Dans lecas d’une√convolution négacyclique, ceci permet d’effectuer une transformée de longueur√
2k+1 , où 2 n’est utilisée que dans la pondération. Pour une convolution circulaire, 2
est utilisée normalement comme une racine de l’unité lors de la transformée, offrant une
longueur de transformée de 2k+2 .
Amélioration de l’utilisation du cache
Lorsque l’on multiplie deux grands entiers avec SSA, le temps consacré à l’accès auxdonnées lors du calcul des transformées de Fourier est non-négligeable ; d’autant plus que
les opérations effectuées sur ces données sont peu coûteuses, rendant le coût relatif desaccès-mémoires assez élevé.
Dans un calcul de FFT, l’opération principale est l’opération dite butterfly dans unanneau Rn qui, pour l’algorithme de Gentleman et Sande, calcule a + b et (a − b)ω, où aet b sont des coefficients dans Rn et ω est une racine de l’unité. Dans SSA, cette racine
de l’unité est une puissance de 2 (possiblement la racine carrée de 2), de telle sorte que
ce calcul ne requiert qu’additions, soustractions et décalages.
De sorte à améliorer la localité des données pour de grandes transformées, nous avons
essayé des stratégies présentées dans la littérature ; parmi les plus efficaces, nous avons
trouvé la transformée en base 2k et l’algorithme de Bailey.
Le principe des transformations en grande base est d’utiliser une opération atomiquequi regroupe plusieurs butterflies. Dans son livre [3], Arndt donne une description de plusieurs variantes selon ce principe. La FFT classique peut être vue comme une transformée2. Multiplication entière par l’algorithme de Schönhage-Strassen

9

en base 2. Le niveau supérieur est une transformée en base 4, où l’opération atomique a
4 entrées et 4 sorties (sans compter les racines de l’unité) et regroupe les 4 butterflies dedeux étapes consécutives de la FFT. Puisque nous calculons 2 étapes en base 2 à chaquefois, la profondeur de la récursion est réduite d’un facteur jusqu’à 2. Dans l’opération atomique, chaque entrée est utilisée dans deux butterflies, de sorte que le nombre de défautsde cache est inférieur à 50%.
Bailey [4] a presenté un autre algorithme de FFT qui améliore le support du cache.
Dans cet article, le lecteur pourra trouver des références permettant de remonter à l’idée
originale, qui était en fait déjà mentionnée dans [11]. Pour simplifier, nous la désignons
dans la suite sous le nom d’« algorithme de Bailey ».
√Une manière de voir l’algorithme de Bailey est comme une transformée en base ℓ, oùℓ = 2k est la longueur des entrées. Autrement dit, au lieu de regrouper 2 étapes commeen base 4, on regroupe k/2 étapes. De manière plus générale, notons k = k1 + k2 , où k1
et k2 sont proches de k/2. L’algorithme de Bailey procède alors en deux étapes :1. effectuer 2k2 transformées de longueur 2k1 ;2. effectuer 2k1 transformées de longueur 2k2 .
√Nous cherchons des nombres tels que ℓ coefficients ne tiennent pas dans le cache
L1, mais que pour tous les nombres que nous souhaitons multiplier, ils tiennent dans lecache L2. Ainsi, la structure du code suit la hiérarchie mémoire : l’algorithme de Bailey
découpe les données en morceaux qui tiennent dans le cache L2, et la transformée en base
4 découpe encore les données en morceaux qui tiennent dans le cache L1.
Nous avons implémenté cette approche (avec un mécanisme de seuil pour n’employer
l’algorithme de Bailey que pour des grands nombres), et en la combinant avec la transformée en base 4 nous avons obtenus nos meilleures performances. Nous avons aussi essayé
la transformée en base 8, ainsi que des versions√ de l’algorithme de Bailey en plus grande
dimension, en particulier en 3 étapes de taille 3 ℓ. Cependant, cela n’a pas apporté d’amélioration pour les tailles considérées.
Un autre moyen d’améliorer la localité des données est de combiner différentes étapes
de l’algorithme pour travailler le plus possible sur un même jeu de données tant qu’il est
dans le cache. Une amélioration simple suivant ce principe est de combiner la multiplication point-à-point et les transformées, en particulier lorsque l’algorithme de Bailey est
utilisé. Dans la transformée du second nombre, après chaque transformée de taille 2k2 ,ces coefficients peuvent être multipliés par les coefficients (déjà transformés) du premier
nombre, puis immédiatement utilisés pour la transformation inverse de taille 2k2 , toujours
en restant dans le cache L2. En poursuivant cette idée plus loin, on peut aussi combinerles étapes de décomposition et de recomposition avec les transformées, économisant ainsi
encore un passage sur les données.
Multiplication sans réduction modulo 2N + 1
La raison pour laquelle SSA utilise une convolution négacyclique est que cela permetd’utiliser l’algorithme récursivement : les sous-produits modulo 2n + 1 peuvent à leur
tour être calculés en utilisant le même algorithme. Un inconvénient de cette approche
est qu’elle requiert une transformée pondérée, c’est-à-dire des opérations supplémentaires

10

Liste des tableauxpréalables à la transformée avant et après la transformée inverse, ainsi qu’une racine (2ℓ)ième de l’unité pour les poids, ce qui divise par deux la longueur possible d’une transforméepour un n donné. La transformée négacyclique n’est nécessaire que pour pouvoir utiliser
modulo xℓ + 1 dans la multiplication polynomiale qui soit compatible avec le modulo
2N + 1 de la multiplication entière. Or, au plus haut niveau de récursion, on choisit N desorte que le produit entier c = ab ne soit pas affecté par une réduction modulo, et aucun
modulo n’est en fait nécessaire pour les multiplications entière comme polynomiale. Ainsi,
on peut utiliser une transformée de Fourier normale sans pondération pour calculer ab(mod 2N − 1), qui nous donnera le bon résultat du moment que ab < 2N − 1. Commenous n’avons pas besoin d’une racine (2ℓ)-ième de l’unité pour la pondération, on peut
doubler la taille de la transformée pour un même Rn . On peut alors calculer un produit ab(mod 2N − 1) et un autre ab (mod 2aN + 1) pour un entier positif a tel que ab ≥ 2aN − 1
mais ab < (2N − 1)(2aN + 1), puis recontruire le résultat correct via le théorème des restes
chinois.
Choix des paramètres et réglage automatique
SSA prend pour n un multiple de ℓ, de sorte que ω = 22n/ℓ est une racine√ primitiven/ℓn/ℓℓ-ème de l’unité,√ n/ℓ et w = 2 est utilisé pour la pondération (ou, si l’on utilise 2, ω = 2
et w = ( 2) ; pour raisons de simplicité, nous omettons ce cas dans la suite). Nousavons trouvé que des améliorations conséquentes pouvaient être obtenues en utilisant demeilleures méthodes de réglage, décrites ici, qui déterminent de bonnes valeurs de ℓ et npour une taille de produit donnée.
Jusqu’à la version 4.2.1, GMP utilisait une méthode de choix de paramètres naïve
pour la multiplication par FFT. Pour la transformée de Fermat modulo 2N + 1, une FFT
de longueur 2k était utilisée pour tk ≤ N < tk+1 , où tk est la plus petite taille (en bits)
pour laquelle la FFT-2k est plus rapide que la FFT-2k−1 . Par exemple, sur un Opteron,le fichier par défaut gmp-mparam.h utilise k = 4 en dessous de 528 mots machine, puis
k = 5 pour moins de 1184 mots machine, et ainsi de suite :#define MUL_FFT_TABLE { 528, 1184, 2880, 5376, 11264, 36864, 114688,
327680, 1310720, 3145728, 12582912, ... }Cette méthode n’est pas optimale, puisque les courbes entre les différentes FFT-2k secroisent plusieurs fois, comme indiqué Figure 2.
Pour prendre ces multiples croisements en compte, la nouvelle méthode de sélection deparamètres détermine les intervalles [m1 , m2 ] (en nombre de mots) où la FFT de longueur
2k est plus avantageuse :#define MUL_FFT_TABLE2 {{1, 4 /*66*/}, {401, 5 /*96*/},{417, 4 /*98*/}, {433, 5 /*96*/}, {865, 6 /*96*/}, ...

Ces nombres signifient que de 401 mots jusqu’à 416 mots, la FFT de longueur 25 est plus
intéressante. Puis de 417 à 432 mots on préfèrera une longueur de 24 , et entre 433 et 864
mots c’est à nouveau 25 qu’il faudra choisir.

2. Multiplication entière par l’algorithme de Schönhage-Strassen
0.9
mpn_mul_fft.5
mpn_mul_fft.6
0.8
mpn_mul_fft.7
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
500
1000

0.2
0.19

11

mpn_mul_fft.5
mpn_mul_fft.6

0.18
0.17
0.16
0.15
0.14
1500

2000

2500

0.13
700

750

800

850

900

Figure 2 – Temps en millisecondes pour multiplier des nombres modulo 2n + 1 avec
une FFT de longueur 2k pour k = 5, 6, 7. L’agrandissement sur la droite (seulement pourk = 5, 6) illustre les croisements multiples de ces courbes.
Comme décrit en 2.2, nous utilisons des produits modulo 2N −1 et modulo 2N a +1 pourcalculer des produits entiers (c’est-à-dire lors du plus haut niveau de récursion de SSA).
Pour chaque taille, la meilleure valeur de a est là aussi déterminée par notre méthode deréglage des paramètres :#define MUL_FFT_FULL_TABLE2 {{16, 1}, {4224, 2}, {4416, 6}, {4480, 2},{4608, 4}, {4640, 2}, ...

Par exemple, le couple {4608, 4} signifie que pour multiplier deux nombres de 4608
mots chacun — ou dont le produit a 2 × 4608 mots — jusqu’à 4639 mots chacun, lenouvel algorithme utilise une transformée modulo 2N − 1 et une transformée modulo
24N + 1. La reconstruction par le théorème des restes chinois est facile puisque 2aN + 1 ≡2 mod (2N − 1).

2.3

Résultats

Le 1er juillet 2005, Allan Steel mit en ligne une page web [26] intitulée « Magma
V2.12-1 is up to 2.3 times faster than GMP 4.1.4 for large integer multiplication », ce quiétait une motivation pour améliorer l’implémentation de GMP. Nous comparons ici nosrésultats avec les performances de Magma.
Comme montré Figure 3, le nouveau code est environ deux fois plus rapide que lecode de GMP 4.1.4, et entre 30 et 40% plus rapide que GMP 4.2.1 qui implémentait déjà
quelques-unes des idées présentées ici et était à peu près aussi rapide que Magma V2.13.6.

12

Liste des tableaux
80
70
60

GMP 4.1.4
Magma V2.13-6
GMP 4.2.1
new GMP code

50
40
30
20
10
0
2.5e6

5e6

7.5e6

1e7

1.25e7

1.5e7

Figure 3 – Comparaison de GMP 4.1.4, GMP 4.2.1, Magma V2.13-6 et notre nouveau
code pour la multiplication entière sur un Opteron à 2,4 GHz (nombre de mots de 64 bits
en abscisse, temps de calcul en secondes en ordonnée).

3

Une version améliorée de l’étape 2 des algorithmesde factorisation P±1

3.1

L’algorithme P-1

En 1974 John Pollard [21, §4] introduit l’algorithme P–1 pour la factorisation d’entiers
N impairs et composés. L’algorithme repose sur l’espoir de trouver un facteur premier p
tel que p − 1 soit friable. Un entier est dit B-friable lorsque tous ses facteurs premiers sontinférieurs à B. L’étape 1 de l’algorithme calcule b1 = be0 mod N où b0 est un nombre (choisi
aléatoirement) et où e = lcm(1, 2, 3, 4, . . . , B1 ) pour un certain paramètre B1 . Cette étape
réussit lorsque (p − 1) | e. Dans ce cas, d’après le petit théorème de Fermat, on a b1 ≡ 1(mod p) et on peut alors généralement retrouver p à partir de gcd(b1 − 1, N ). Dans le cas
contraire, on espère que p − 1 = qn où n | e et q n’est pas trop grand. Alorse/nnq e/nbq1 ≡ (be0 )q = beq= bp−1≡ 1e/n = 1 (mod p),(3)
0 = (b0 )0de sorte que p divise gcd(bq1 − 1, N ).
L’étape 2 de l’algorithme P–1 essaie de trouver p, à condition que B1 < q ≤ B2 , oùB2 est un paramètre utilisé pour limiter la recherche. La fin de l’article de Pollard [21]suggère une version de type FFT pour la phase 2 de l’algorithme P–1. Montgomery etSilverman [20, p. 844] l’ont implantée, en utilisant un convolution cyclique pour évaluer
un polynôme en des points en progression géométrique.

3.2

L’algorithme P+1

Hugh Williams [28] a introduit un algorithme de factorisation « P+1 » en 1982. Cet

3. Une version améliorée de l’étape 2 des algorithmes de factorisation P±1

13algorithme trouve facilement un facteur premier p de N lorsque p+1 est friable. Il s’inspirede l’algorithme P–1. L’étape 1 choisit un nombre P0 ∈ Z/N Z aléatoirement et calcule P1 =Ve (P0 ) (mod N ), où (à nouveau) e = lcm(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . , B1 ) et où Vn (x) est un polynômede Chebyshev satisfaisant Vn (x + 1/x) = xn + 1/xn . Ces polynômes sont à coefficients
entiers et peuvent être évalués efficacement en O(log(n)) multiplications, par exemple
en utilisant les méthodes de Montgomery [19]. Si P02 − 4 est un non-résidu quadratiquemodulo p, gcd(P1 − 2, N ) donne le facteur p lorsque p + 1 divise e. Lorsqu’aucun facteurn’est trouvé par ce pgcd, on espère que p + 1 = qn où n divise e et avec q pas trop grand.
Dans ce cas, gcd(Vq (P1 ) − 2, N ) donne p, à condition que P02 − 4 soit un non-residu.

3.3

Nouvelle approche pour l’étape 2

Nous nous intéressons ici uniquement à l’étape 2 de l’algorithme P–1 ; les modifications
à apporter à l’algorithme P+1 sont décrites dans le manuscrit de thèse. Nous cherchons
un nombre premier q avec B1 < q ≤ B2 et tel que
bq1 ≡ 1(mod p)(4)

où p est un facteur premier du nombre N donné en entrée de l’algorithme. De la même façon que dans [20], nous évaluons un polynôme en des points en progressions géométriques.
Nous construisons un polynômeY1
f (X) = X −|S1 |/2(X − b2k(5)1 ) mod N
k1 ∈S1

et nous évaluons
2k +(2m+1)P
f b1 2mod N(6)pour toutes les valeurs k2 ∈ S2 et m1 ≤ m < m2 , avec P , S1 , S2 , m1 et m2 choisis de tellesorte que tout nombre premier q, B1 < q ≤ B2 s’écrive q = 2k2 + (2m + 1)P − 2k1 . Alors,
si l’équation (4) est vérifiée, on a
2k +(2m+1)P
f b1 2≡ 0 (mod p)(7)1
car le facteur X − b2k
de f (X) vaut alors1

2k +(2m+1)P

b1 2

1
≡
− b2k
1

2k +(2m+1)P −2k1

b1 2

−1 ≡
≡ 0

bq1 − 12k +(2m+1)P(mod q).

Alors, gcd(f (b1 2), N ) fournit p.
Pour un P donné, en utilisant une décomposition de (Z/P Z)∗ en somme de petites
progressions arithmétiques, nous construisons les ensembles S1 et S2 . Cette étape est
décrite en section 3.4. À partir de ces progressions arithmétiques il est possible d’engendrer
rapidement les coefficients de f (X), comme expliqué en section 3.6. Les polynômes qui
apparaissent dans ce calcul sont les polynômes de Laurent réciproques que l’on peut

14

Liste des tableauxmultiplier efficacement à l’aide d’un produit de convolution cyclique pondéré décrit ensection 3.5. L’évaluation multipoints est présentée brièvement en section 3.7. Finalement,la section 3.9 donne quelques résultats nouveaux, en particulier un facteur P+1 record de
60 chiffres.

3.4

Sélection de S1 et S2

Nous notons avec l’opérateur « + » l’addition de deux ensembles : S + T = {a + b :a ∈ S, b ∈ T }. D’après le théorème des restes chinois,(Z/(mn)Z)∗ = n(Z/mZ)∗ + m(Z/nZ)∗ si gcd(m, n) = 1.

(8)

Cette équation est indépendante des représentants choisis : si S ≡ (Z/mZ)∗ (mod m) etT ≡ (Z/nZ)∗ (mod n), alors nS + mT ≡ (Z/(mn)Z)∗ (mod mn).
Nous choisissons S1 et S2 de telle sorte que S1 + S2 ≡ (Z/P Z)∗ (mod P ) ce qui assureque tous le nombres premiers avec P (donc en particulier tous les nombres premiers)
soient couverts par l’intervalle de l’étape 2. Le nombre P est choisi très friable de façon à
assurer que |S1 + S2 | = φ(P ) reste petit. Nous désirons exprimer S1 comme la somme denombreux petits ensembles afin de rendre la construction de f (X) en section 3.6 la plus
rapide possible. À cette fin, nous pouvons décomposer chacun des (Z/pZ)∗ (avec p | P )en sommes d’ensembles plus petits.
Soit Rn = {2i − n − 1 : 1 ≤ i ≤ n} un ensemble de n nombres en progression arithmétique de raison 2 et centrée en 0. Pour tout nombre premier impair p, Rp−1 constitue unereprésentation possible de (Z/pZ)∗ . Dès lors que p 6= 3, la cardinal de Rp−1 est composé
et il est possible de le décomposer de la façon suivante en progressions arithmétiques dont
les tailles sont des nombres premiers :Rmn = Rm + mRn .

(9)Par exemple, si P = 105, on peut choisir
S1 + S2 = 35{−1, 1} + 42{−1, 1} + 21{−1, 1} + 45{−1, 1} + 15{−2, 0, 2}.
Toutes les progressions arithmétiques considérées sont symétriques par rapport à 0 et les
racines du polynôme f (X) dans l’équation (5) peuvent donc être regroupées en paires
formées d’un nombre et de son inverse. Puisque |S1 + S2 | = φ(P ) est pair quand P > 1,
il est toujours possible de choisir S1 de telle sorte que |S1 | soit pair. De cette façon, f (X)est un polynôme de Laurent réciproque (cf. section suivante). Un tel polynôme peut êtrestocké et multiplié bien plus facilement qu’un polynôme quelconque. Le degré de f (X)est |S1 | : ce paramètre est limité par la mémoire disponible. De plus |S2 | évaluations
multipoints distinctes doivent être effectuées.

3.5

Polynômes de Laurent réciproques et convolution pondérée

On définit les polynômes de Laurent réciproques (ou RLP de l’anglais reciprocal
Laurent polynomial ) comme étant les expansions en x de la forme
a0 +

d
X
j=1

aj xj + x−j3. Une version améliorée de l’étape 2 des algorithmes de factorisation P±1

15où les aj sont des éléments d’un anneau. Un tel polynôme est dit unitaire lorsque ad = 1.
Si ad 6= 0, on dit que le degré de ce polynôme est 2d ; le degré d’un polynôme de Laurent
réciproque est donc toujours pair. Un RLP unitaire de degré 2d est représenté par dcoefficients (le coefficient dominant ad = 1 n’a pas besoin d’être stocké). On appelle basestandard des RLP de degré au plus 2d, la base {1} ∪ {xj + x−j : 1 ≤ j ≤ d}.
Pdq
Considérons un RLP Q(x) de degré au plus 2dq : Q(x) = q0 + j=1
qj (xj + x−j ). Dela même façon, on suppose que R(x) est un P
RLP de degré au plus 2dr . Pour former lesproduit S de P et Q, S(x) = Q(x)R(x) = s0 + dj=1
sj (xj + x−j ) (qui sera de degré au plus
2ds = 2(dq + dr )), on choisit une longueur ℓ > ds et on effectue un produit de convolution
cyclique pondéré S̃(wx) = Q(wx)R(wx) mod xℓ − 1 , où w est un poids bien choisi telque wℓ 6= 0, ±1. En toute généralité, un produit de degré d nécessite une convolution delongueur ℓ > d, c’est-à-direP
deux fois plus grand que les facteurs du produit.
jℓSupposons que S̃(x) = ℓ−1
j=0 s̃x et S̃(wx) = S(wx) mod x − 1 . Alors,S̃(wx) = s0 +dsX

wj sj xj + w−j sj xℓ−j

j=1

=

ds
X

j

j

w sj x +

j=0

=

ℓ−d
s −1
X
j=0

ℓ−1
X



wj−ℓ sℓ−j xj

j=ℓ−dsjj

w sj x +

ds
X

w

j

−ℓ



j

sj + w sℓ−j x +j=ℓ−dsℓ−1
X

wj−ℓ sℓ−j xj

j=ds +1

et donc s̃j = sj pour 0 ≤ j < ℓ − ds , et s̃j = sj + w−ℓ sℓ−j pour ℓ − ds ≤ j ≤ ds . De là, onpeut déduire sj et sℓ−j en résolvant le système linéaire


 

1 w−ℓ
sj
s̃j
=
.
w−ℓ 1
sℓ−j
s̃ℓ−j
Lorsque cette matrice est inversible, c’est-à-dire lorsque wℓ 6= ±1, il existe une uniquesolution :w−ℓ s̃j − s̃ℓ−jw−2ℓ − 1= s̃ℓ−j − w−ℓ sj .

sj =
sℓ−j

3.6

Calcul des coefficients de f

Le RLP unitaire f (X) de l’équation (5), dont les racines sont les b2k
1 avec k ∈ S1 ,peut être construit rapidement un utilisant la décomposition de S1 . Supposons que S1
et S2 aient été construits de la façon que nous avons décrite en section 3.4 : S1 est dela forme S1 = T1 + T2 + · · · + Tm où les Tj sont formés d’une progression arithmétiquede taille un nombre premier et centrée en 0. Si |S1 | est pair, au moins l’un des Tj est

16

Liste des tableauxde cardinal égal à 2. Quitte à réorganiser les Tj , on peut supposer que c’est T1 et que|T2 | ≥ |T3 | ≥ · · · ≥ |Tm |.
Notons T1 = {−k1 , k1 } : on définit alors un RLP unitaire de degré 2−2k1
1
F1 (X) = X + X −1 − b2k
1 − b1(mod N ).

Soit à présent 1 ≤ j < m. À partir des coefficients d’un RLP unitaire Fj (X) de degré1
dj et de racines b2k(k1 ∈ T1 + · · · + Tj ), on définit1
Y2
Fj+1 (X) =(mod N ).
(10)
Fj (b2k
1 X)
k2 ∈Tj+1

Ce polynôme peut être calculé efficacement en multipliant les coefficients de Fj (X) pardes puissances de b12k2 en temps O(dj ) pour tous les k2 ∈ Tj+1 , puis en multipliant les
polynômes ainsi obtenus les uns avec les autres avec la méthode décrite en section 3.5. Le
temps total est O(M (dj ·|Tj+1 |)|Tj+1 |), où M (n) désigne le temps nécessaire pour multiplierdeux RLP de degré au plus n. Puisque |S1 | contient beaucoup de petits facteurs premiers,
en particulier une puissance élevée du nombre 2, le temps de calcul est dominé par lesdernières multiplications : 2 polynômes de degré |S1 |/2 multipliés entre eux à l’étape m, 2
polynômes de degré |S1 |/4 multipliés entre eux à l’étape m−1, etc. Le coût total du calcul
de f (X) est finalement O(M (|S1 |)). À titre de comparaison, en toute généralité, le calcul
d’un polynôme (donné par ses racines) en utilisant un arbre binaire a une complexité
asymptotique de O(M (n) log(n)). Le calcul récursif utilisant la factorisation de S1 nous
permet donc d’économiser un facteur log(|S1 |) sur le temps de calcul.

3.7

Évaluation polynomiale multipoints

Nous avons construits un RLP unitaire f (X) de degré |S1 | : notons-le|S1 |/2

f (X) = f0 +X
j=1

|S1 |/2
j−j

fj · (X + X ) =X

fj X j ,j=−|S1 |/2où fj = f−j ∈ Z/N Z.


2k +(2m+1)PL’équation (6) nécessite de calculer f b1 2
pour tous les k2 ∈ S2 et pour uncertain nombre de valeurs consécutives m : m1 ≤ m < m2 .
2k +(2m1 +1)PEn posant r = bP1 ∈ Z/N Z et x0 = b1 2
, les arguments de f s’écrivent x0 r2m
avec 0 ≤ m < m2 − m1 . Ces points sont en progression géométrique de raison r2 . Pour une
valeur de k2 donnée, il est possible d’évaluer f en tous ces points à l’aide d’une uniqueconvolution de longueur ℓ = m2 − m1 + |S1 | + 1 et coût d’initialisation de O(ℓ) [1, exercise
8.27].
Plus précisément, on définit le RLP|S1 |/2

h(X) =

X

j=−|S1 |/2

2

r−j fj X j .

3. Une version améliorée de l’étape 2 des algorithmes de factorisation P±1

17Cette définition ne fait pas référence à x0 , de sorte que h est calculé une fois pour toutes
et sera utilisé pour les évaluations ultérieures de f .
On définit égalementℓ−1
X2
g(X) =
x0M −i r(M −i) X i .
i=0

Ce polynôme en revanche est recalculé pour chaque nouvelle évaluation.
Pour chaque évaluation multi-points, h et g sont multipliés avec une transformation
cyclique de longueur ℓ, c’est-à-dire modulo X ℓ − 1. Le coefficient de X ℓ−1−|S1 |/2−m (avec
0 ≤ m < m2 − m1 ) dans g(X)h(X) mod (X ℓ − 1) est|S1 |/2

X

m
xm
0 r

2

j=−|S1 |/2

x0 r2mj2

m
f (x0 r2m ),f j = xm
0 r

(11)

qui contient le terme f (x0 r2m ) désiré. Comme x0 et r sont premiers entre eux et que
m2nous sommes intéressés uniquement par gcd(f (x0 r2m ), N ), le facteur xm
n’a aucune
0 r
importance. Après chaque évaluation multipoints, on forme le produit de ces coefficientset on en prend le pgcd avec N , dans l’espoir de trouver un facteur.

3.8

Notre implémentation

Notre implémentation repose sur GMP-ECM, qui est une implémentation des algorithmes P–1, P+1, et de la méthode ECM (Elliptic Curve Method ) pour la factorisationd’entiers. GMP-ECM est développée principalement par Paul Zimmermann [29] et repose
sur la bibliothèque d’arithmétique en précision arbitraire GMP [12].
Sur un Opteron cadencé à 2.4 GHz avec 8 Go de RAM, l’étape 2 de l’algorithme P–1
prend 1738 secondes pour traiter un nombre de 230 chiffres (un cofacteur de 2254 + 1),
avec B2 = 1.2 · 1015 . Si on utilise le multi-threading pour exploiter les deux processeursprésents sur cette machine, le même calcul prend 941 secondes (1753 secondes de temps
processeur). À titre de comparaison, l’implémentation précédente présente dans GMPECM [29] met 34080 secondes pour réaliser ce calcul sur la même machine en utilisant unseul processeur.

3.9

Quelques résultats

Nous avons fait tourné les algorithmes P–1 ou P+1 sur environ 1500 entiers composés.
Les paramètres B1 and B2 variaient d’une fois sur l’autre ; des valeurs typiques sont par
exemple B1 = 1011 et B2 = 1016 . Le tableau 1 indique des facteurs nouveaux p sur quelques
exemples. À chaque fois, le plus grand facteur de p ± 1 est également indiqué.
Le facteur de 47146 + 1 (52 chiffres) et le facteur du nombre de Lucas L2366 (60 chiffres)ont successivement constitué deux records pour l’algorithme de factorisation P+1. Lerecord précédent était un facteur de 48 chiffres de L1849 et et avait été découvert parnous-même en mars 2003.

18

Liste des tableauxEntréeFacteur p découvert
TailleMéthodePlus grands facteurs de p ± 1
73109 − 1
76227040047863715568322367158695720006439518152299
c191
P–1
12491 · 37987 · 156059 · 2244509 · 462832247372839
p50
118
∗
68 + 1
7506686348037740621097710183200476580505073749325089
c151
P–1
22807 · 480587 · 14334767 · 89294369 · 4649376803 · 5380282339
p52
142
24 + 120489047427450579051989683686453370154126820104624537
c183
P–1
4959947 · 7216081 · 16915319 · 17286223 · 12750725834505143
p53
47146 + 1
7986478866035822988220162978874631335274957495008401
c235
P+1
20540953 · 56417663 · 1231471331 · 1632221953 · 843497917739
p52
L2366
725516237739635905037132916171116034279215026146021770250523 c290
P+1932677 · 62754121 · 19882583417 · 751245344783 · 483576618980159
p60∗= trouvé durant l’étape 1 de l’algorithme
Table 1 – Grands facteurs P ± 1 découverts

4

Factorisation des petits entiers par P–1, P+1 et ECM
dans le crible algébriqueComme indiqué en introduction, la phase de crible de NFS [15] cherche un grandnombre d’entiers ne contenant que des facteurs premiers plus petits qu’une borne B,
sauf certains — au plus k — pouvant aller jusqu’à une borne L, où B, k, et L sont desparamètres. L’ordre de grandeur est typiquement de 107 à 108 pour B, de l’ordre de 109
pour L, et de 2 à 3 pour k. Des factorisations records peuvent utiliser des valeurs plus
grandes. Les facteurs premiers plus petits que B sont identifiés lors du crible, laissant descofacteurs de 15 à 30 chiffres, qu’il faut factoriser pour déterminer s’ils contiennent desfacteurs premiers plus grands que L.
Parmi les algorithmes possibles pour cela, on trouve les méthodes P–1, P+1, et laméthode des courbes elliptiques (ECM). Toutes ces méthodes ont en commun le fait
qu’un facteur premier p est trouvé lorsque l’ordre d’un groupe défini sur Fp est lui-même
friable.
Contrairement à la phase 2 rapide de P–1 et P+1 décrite en section 3, les facteurs
premiers attendus ici sont trop petits pour des algorithmes asymptotiquement rapides.
Les algorithmes utilisés sont plutôt optimisés pour un faible surcoût et un haut débit, parexemple en précalculant des chaînes d’addition pour la phase 1, ou un plan d’exécution
optimisé pour la phase 2 de ces algorithmes. Ces algorithmes sont développés pour desnombres à factoriser d’un mot-machine de 64 bits (jusque 19 chiffres décimaux environ)et pour deux mots-machine moins deux bits (jusque 38 chiffres décimaux environ).

4.1

Algorithme P–1

La phase 1 de l’algorithme P–1 est essentiellement identique à la description faite
en section 3.1. La valeur de e est précalculée pour différentes valeurs de B1 et donnée en4. Factorisation des petits entiers par P–1, P+1 et ECM dans le crible algébrique

19

argument à la routine effectuant la phase 1, qui consiste simplement en une exponentiation
modulaire, une soustraction et un pgcd. La base d’exponentiation choisie est b0 = 2 ;dans l’algorithme d’exponentiation gauche-droite, cela ne requiert que des carrés et desmultiplications par 2, qui pour ces dernières peuvent être calculées via une addition plutôt
qu’une multiplication par x0 .
La phase 2 de P–1 peut utiliser exactement le même code que celle de P+1, et est
décrite en section 4.4.

4.2

Algorithme P+1

L’algorithme P+1 est essentiellement comme décrit dans la section 3.1. Les polynômesde Chebyshev peuvent être évalués efficacement par la méthode de Montgomery [19]. Cela
requiert de trouver des « chaînes de Lucas » quasi-optimales, qui sont un type spécial dechaînes d’addition. Montgomery montre comment trouver rapidement de telles chaînes,et lors de la factorisation de grands nombres il est possible de les produire à la volée. Pourdes petits nombres, ce procédé est trop coûteux, et les chaînes sont précalculées pourdiverses valeurs de B1 .
Si la phase 1 de P+1 échoue, on essaie de trouver un facteur avec la phase 2, voir lasection 4.4.

4.3

Algorithme ECM

La méthode de factorisation via les courbes elliptiques (ECM) a été introduite par
H. W. Lenstra, Jr., en 1987 [17]. ECM travaille dans le groupe de Mordell-Weil despoints d’une courbe elliptique sur Fp . Par le théorème de Hasse, l’ordre de ce groupe√√
est compris dans l’intervalle [p + 1 − 2 p, p + 1 + 2 p]. ECM choisit une courbe E avec
des coefficients dans Z/N Z et calcule P1 = e · P0 pour un point initial P0 sur la courbe ete = lcm(1, 2, 3, 4, . . . , B1 ). ECM trouve un facteur premier p de N si la courbe sur Fp a unordre divisant e, car alors P1 est le point à l’infini de la courbe sur Fp , avec coordonnéeZ égale à 0 (mod p), et gcd((P1 )Z , N ) révèle p.
L’implantation de la phase 1 d’ECM suit essentiellement la description de Montgomery [18]. Montgomery utilise des courbes elliptiques en coordonnées projectives pouréviter de coûteux inverses modulaires dans la formule d’addition. Cependant, ses courbes
nécessitent des chaînes d’addition spéciales pour multiplier un point par un scalaire. Ceschaînes sont identiques à celles nécessaires pour P+1, et sont précalculées et stockéescomme pour P+1.
Notre phase 2 d’ECM est similaire à celle de P–1 et P+1, et est décrite en section 4.4.

4.4

Phase 2 pour P–1, P+1 et ECM

La phase 2 de P–1, P+1 et ECM essaie de trouver un facteur p de N si l’ordre dugroupe correspondant sur Fp est B1 -friable, excepté un facteur premier plus grand q. Onncherche un tel q plus petit qu’une borne B2 en cherchant une collision bm
1 = b1 (dans lecas de P–1) qui survient quand q | m − n. Nous décrivons ici la phase 2 pour l’algorithme

20

Liste des tableaux

P–1 ; P+1 peut utiliser le même algorithme en posant X1 = P1 , et la phase 2 d’ECM a
une structure très similaire.
Notre phase 2 suit la “enhanced standard continuation” décrite par Montgomery [18].
Pour des bornes données B1 et B2 , et une entrée b1 , on définit X1 = b1 + b−1
1 , on choisit
une valeur d divisible par 6, et on calcule deux listes
fi = Vid (X1 ) mod N pour ⌊B1 /d⌉ ≤ i ≤ ⌊B2 /d⌉ et
gj = Vj (X1 ) mod N pour 1 ≤ j < d/2 et j ⊥ d,de telle sorte que tout nombre premier q dans ]B1 , B2 ] s’écrit sous la forme q = id − j ou
q = id + j.
Alors, si bq1 ≡ 1 (mod p),
Vid (X1 ) ≡ Vq±j (X1 ) ≡ bq±j
+ 1/bq±j
1
1
±j
j
j
≡ b±j
+
1/b
≡
b
+
1/b
1
1
1
1 ≡ Vj (X1 )(mod p)et donc
Vid (X1 ) − Vj (X1 ) ≡ 0(mod p).

(12)

Une fois les listes fi , gj calculées, on calcule le produitYA=(fi − gj ) mod N.

(13)

id±j=q
B1 <q≤B2

S’il existe p | N et un nombre premier q dans ]B1 , B2 ] tel que bq1 ≡ 1 (mod p), le produit(13) comporte i, j tels que (12) est vérifiée, et donc p | gcd(A, N ).
Pour ECM, on peut utiliser fi = (id·P1 )X , la coordonnée X de id·P1 , et gj = (j ·P1 )X ,voir [18]. Cependant, comme on utilise des coordonnées projectives, deux points identiques
ou opposés n’ont pas forcément la même coordonnée X, mais ont un même rapport X/Z.
Pour garantir que id · P = j · P implique (id · P )X = (j · P )X , il faut normaliser lescoordonnées Z des points calculés.
Certaines paires (i, j) incluent plus d’un nombre premier, en particulier quand à la fois
id − j et id + j sont divisibles par un nombre premier q dans ]B1 , B2 ]. Notre implantation
choisit les paires (i, j) soigneusement, de telle sorte que tous les nombres premiers dans
]B1 , B2 ] sont inclus avec un nombre quasi-minimal de paires.
Les tables 2 et 3 indiquent le temps — déterminé de façon empirique — pour trouver
des nombres premiers proches de 225 , 226 , . . . , 232 dans des nombres composés de 1 et 2
mots, et avec des paramètres B1 et B2 choisis pour minimiser le temps moyen. Le fait que
B1 et B2 ne croissent pas avec la taille des facteurs est dû au fait que le temps moyenpour trouver un facteur premier en fonction de B1 et B2 est une fonction très plate autourde son minimum, de telle sorte que de petites perturbations des temps mesurés influent
notablement sur les paramètres mesurés comme optimaux.

4.5

Comparaison avec des implantations matérielles d’ECM

Plusieurs implantations matérielles d’ECM pour la co-factorisation dans NFS ont été
décrites dans la littérature. Un article récent de de Meulenaer et al. [9] utilise une carte

4. Factorisation des petits entiers par P–1, P+1 et ECM dans le crible algébrique
n
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32

B1
300
310
320
400
430
530
530
540

B2
proba.
5000 0.249
6000 0.220
6000 0.186
6000 0.167
7000 0.149
11000 0.158
10000 0.128
10000 0.105

21

1 mot 2 mots − 2 bits
46
103
55
125
67
151
81
182
100
224
119
275
144
330
177
410

Table 2 – Temps moyen en microsecondes et probabilité de trouver des facteurs premiers
proches de 2n dans des nombres composés de 1 ou 2 mots-machine avec P–1 sur un AMD
Phenom à 2 GHz. Les paramètres B1 et B2 ont été choisis de manière empirique pourminimiser le rapport temps/probabilité.
n
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32

B1
130
130
150
160
180
200
260
250

B2
proba.
7000 0.359
7000 0.297
11000 0.290
13000 0.256
12000 0.22012000 0.188
14000 0.182
15000 0.147

1 mot 2 mots − 2 bits
67
176
81
213
101
264
124
324
151
395
190
496
231
604
283
744

Table 3 – Temps moyen en microsecondes et probabilité par courbe de trouver desfacteurs premiers proches de 2n dans des nombres composés de 1 ou 2 mots-machine avec
ECM sur un AMD Phenom à 2 GHz. Les paramètres B1 et B2 ont été choisis de manière
empirique pour minimiser le temps moyen.
haute-performance Xilinx Virtex4SX FPGA avec multiplieurs embarqués. Ces auteurs ont
implanté uniquement la phase 1 d’ECM, et pour des entrées jusque 135 bits. Ils indiquent
un débit de 13793 phases 1 d’ECM par seconde avec B1 = 910 pour $100, avec un prixunitaire de $116. Cependant, le prix indiqué sur www.nuhorizons.com et www.avnet.com
pour cette carte est plutôt de $300. Nous basons notre comparaison sur ce dernier chiffre.
La table 4 compare le rapport performance/coût de notre implantation logicielle
d’ECM avec celle de de Meulenaer et al. Nous estimons qu’ECM avec des nombres de3 mots-machine (135 bits) prendrait environ deux fois plus de temps que pour 2 motsmachine. Pour cette comparaison nous utilisons les temps mesurés pour 126 bits (2 motsmachine) et des estimations pour 135 bits (3 mots-machine). Les temps pour notre implantation logicielle ont été obtenus sur un AMD Phenom X4 9350e avec 4 cœurs à 2.0 GHz,et ont été mis à l’échelle d’un Phenom II X4 955 avec 4 cœurs à 3.2 GHz. De Meulenaer
et al. n’ont pas implanté la phase 2, mais ont prédit sa performance à raison de 16, 900
phases 2 par seconde et par carte. Nous utilisons cette estimation pour notre comparaison.
Nos résultats montrent qu’une implantation logicielle d’ECM est compétitive en termes

22

Liste des tableaux
XC4VSX25-10 Phenom 9350e Phenom II X4 955
Carte
Fréquence
0.22 GHz
2.0 GHz
3.2 GHz1
4
4
Nombre de cœurs
nombre de 126 bits (2 mots en implantation logicielle)
Temps de la phase 162.5µs232.1µs≈ 145µs
59.2µs
121.5µs≈ 76µsTemps de la phase 2
Temps par essai
121.7µs353.6µs≈ 221µs#essais/sec/carte
8217
11312
18100
$300
$215
Coût par carte#essais/sec/$100
2739
8418
nombre de 135 bits (3 mots en implantation logicielle)
Temps de la phase 162.5µs≈ 464µs≈ 290µs
59.2µs≈ 243µs≈ 152µs
Temps de la phase 2
121.7≈ 707µs≈ 442µs
Temps par essai#essais/sec/carte
8217≈ 5658≈ 9052$300$215
Coût par carte#essais/sec/$100
2739
4210

Table 4 – Comparaison d’ECM avec B1 = 910, B2 = 57000 pour des nombres de 126 et
135 bits, sur un FPGA Virtex4SX25-10 et sur des processeurs AMD 64 bits.
de coût par courbe par rapport aux circuits matériels pour ECM.

Bibliographie[1] Alfred V. Aho, John E. Hopcroft, and Jeffrey D. Ullman. The Design and Analysis
of Computer Algorithms. Addison-Wesley, 1974.
[2] Kazumaro Aoki, Jens Franke, Thorsten Kleinjung, Arjen K. Lenstra, and Dag Arne
Osvik. A Kilobit Special Number Field Sieve Factorization. In Kaoru Kurosawa,
editor, Advances in Cryptology – ASIACRYPT 2007, number 4833 in Lecture Notes
in Computer Science, pages 1–12. Springer-Verlag, 2008.
[3] Jörg Arndt. Matters Computational. November 2009. Draft, available at http://www.jjj.de/fxt/.
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[5] Daniel J. Bernstein. Circuits for integer factorization : a proposal. Manuscript, 2001.
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[7] Joe P. Buhler, Hendrik W. Lenstra, Jr., and Carl Pomerance. Factoring integers with
the number field sieve. In Lenstra and Lenstra [15], pages 50–94.
[8] James W. Cooley and John W. Tukey. An algorithm for the machine calculation ofcomplex Fourier series. Mathematics of Computation, 19(90) :297–301, 1965.
[9] Giacomo de Meulenaer, François Gosset, Guerric Meurice de Dormale, and JeanJacques Quisquater. Elliptic Curve Factorization Method : Towards Better Exploitation of Reconfigurable Hardware. In IEEE Symposium on Field-Programmable
Custom Computing Machines (FCCM07), pages 197–207. IEEE Computer Society
Press, 2007.
[10] Jens Franke, Thorsten Kleinjung, Christof Paar, Jan Pelzl, Christine Priplata, andColin Stahlke. SHARK : A Realizable Special Hardware Sieving Device for Factoring1024-Bit Integers. In Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems — CHES 2005,
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[11] W. Morven Gentleman and Gordon Sande. Fast Fourier transforms–for fun andprofit. In AFIPS Conference Proceedings, volume 29, pages 563–578, Washington,
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[12] Torbjörn Granlund. GNU MP : The GNU Multiple Precision Arithmetic Library,2009. http://gmplib.org/.
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Herman te Riele, Andrey Timofeev, and Paul Zimmermann. Factorization of a 768bit RSA modulus. http://eprint.iacr.org/2010/006.
[15] Arjen K. Lenstra and Hendrik W. Lenstra, Jr., editors. The development of thenumber field sieve, volume 1554 of Lecture Notes in Mathematics. Springer-Verlag,
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25[29] Paul Zimmermann and Bruce Dodson. 20 Years of ECM. In Florian Hess, SebastianPauli, and Michael Pohst, editors, Proceedings of the 7th Algorithmic Number Theory
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26

Bibliographie

RésuméCette thèse propose des améliorations aux problèmes de la multiplication et de lafactorisation d’entier.
L’algorithme de Schönhage-Strassen pour la multiplication d’entier, publié en 1971,
fut le premier à atteindre une complexité de O(n log(n) log(log(n))) pour multiplier deuxentiers de n bits, et reste parmi les plus rapides en pratique. Il réduit la multiplicationd’entier à celle de polynôme sur un anneau fini, en utilisant la transformée de Fourier
rapide pour calculer le produit de convolution. Dans un travail commun avec Gaudry et
Zimmermann, nous décrivons une implantation efficace de cet algorithme, basée sur labibliothèque GNU MP ; par rapport aux travaux antérieurs, nous améliorons l’utilisationde la mémoire cache, la sélection des paramètres et la longueur de convolution, ce qui
donne un gain d’un facteur 2 environ.
Les algorithmes P–1 et P+1 trouvent un facteur p d’un entier composé rapidement si
p − 1, respectivement p + 1, ne contient pas de grand facteur premier. Ces algorithmes
comportent deux phases : la première phase calcule une grande puissance g1 d’un élément
g0 d’un groupe fini défini sur Fp , respectivement Fp2 , la seconde phase cherche une collision
entre puissances de g1 , qui est trouvée de manière efficace par évaluation-interpolationde polynômes. Dans un travail avec Peter Lawrence Montgomery, nous proposons uneamélioration de la seconde phase de ces algorithmes, avec une construction plus rapide
des polynômes requis, et une consommation mémoire optimale, ce qui permet d’augmenterla limite pratique pour le plus grand facteur premier de p − 1, resp. p + 1, d’un facteur
100 environ par rapport aux implantations antérieures.
Le crible algébrique (NFS) est le meilleur algorithme connu pour factoriser des entiers dont les facteurs n’ont aucune propriété permettant de les trouver rapidement. En
particulier, le module du système RSA de chiffrement est choisi de telle sorte, et sa factorisation casse le système. De nombreux efforts ont ainsi été consentis pour améliorer
NFS, de façon à établir précisément la sécurité de RSA. Nous donnons un bref aperçu de
NFS et de son historique. Lors de la phase de crible de NFS, de nombreux petits entiers
doivent être factorisés. Nous présentons en détail une implantation de P–1, P+1, et dela méthode ECM basée sur les courbes elliptiques, qui est optimisée pour de tels petits
entiers. Finalement, nous montrons comment les paramètres de ces algorithmes peuventêtre choisis finement, en tenant compte de la distribution des facteurs premiers dans lesentiers produits par NFS, et de la probabilité de trouver des facteurs premiers d’une taille
donnée.
Mots-clés: Arithmétique, multiplication des entiers, factorisation des entiers, courbes
elliptiques, crible algébrique