Patent ID: 8086656

Claim:
A computing device comprising an accumulator for evaluating a polynomial a(x) of a finite field of characteristic 2 at an element r, said polynomial a(x) having a degree and being equivalent to a sum of a plurality of components having respective coefficients a k combined with corresponding values r k , said device being configured to: a) initialize said accumulator to zero; b) obtain the values r k for odd numbers k less than said degree; c) for each even number k less than said degree and greater than 2 which is also an exponentiation of 2, if the coefficient a k is a one, add r 1 to said accumulator and square said accumulator; d) for all other even numbers k less than said degree, if the coefficient a k is a one, add the value r k−1 to said accumulator and square said accumulator; e) for each odd number k greater than zero, if the coefficient a k is a one, add the corresponding value r k to said accumulator; f) for k=0, if the coefficient a 0 is a one, add the value r 0 to said accumulator; and g) output a final value in said accumulator representing a(r).