# FiniteFields — Module.

This package introduces finite fields using the GAP syntax. This compatibility with GAP is the motivation not to use the existing GaloisFields. The speed is comparable with GaloisFields, slightly slower for prime fields and faster for composite fields. Lke GAP3, we only implement fields of order less than 2^16. This package comes with the module Modulo implementing modular arithmetic without restriction on the modulus (the modulus can be a BigInt).

This only dependency of this package is Primes.

The Galois field with p^n elements is obtained as GF(p^n). All elements of Galois fields of characteristic p have the same type, the parametric type FFE{p}. The function Z(p^n) returns a generator of the multiplicative group of GF(p^n). Other elements of GF(p^n) are obtained as powers of Z(p^n), except 0, obtained as 0*Z(p^n). Elements of the prime field can also be obtained as FFE{p}(n) (which is the same as n*Z(p)^0).

julia> a=Z(64)
FFE{2}: Z₆₄

julia> a^9 # automatic conversion to smaller fields
FFE{2}: Z₈

julia> a^21
FFE{2}: Z₄

julia> a+1
FFE{2}: Z₆₄⁵⁶

Elements of the prime field can be converted to Mod(,p) or to integers:

julia> a=Z(19)+3
FFE{19}: 5

julia> Mod(a)
Mod{UInt64}: 5₁₉

julia> Int(a)
5

julia> order(a) # order as element of the multiplicative group
9

The field, p, n and p^n can be obtained back from an FFE{p} as well as which power of Z(p^n) is considered

julia> a=Z(8)^5
FFE{2}: Z₈⁵

julia> F=field(a)
GF(2^3)

julia> char(F)
2

julia> char(a)
2

julia> degree(F)
3

julia> degree(a)
3

julia> length(F)
8

julia> log(a)
5

julia> elements(F)
8-element Vector{FFE{2}}:
   0
   1
  Z₈
 Z₈²
 Z₈³
 Z₈⁴
 Z₈⁵
 Z₈⁶

A p-integral integer or rational or a Mod(,p) can be converted to a prime field element using FFE{p} as a constructor.

julia> FFE{19}(2)
FFE{19}: 2

julia> FFE{19}(5//3)
FFE{19}: 8

julia> FFE{19}(Mod(2,19))
FFE{19}: 2

julia> m=rand(GF(49),4,4)
4×4 Matrix{FFE{7}}:
 Z₄₉²⁴  Z₄₉¹⁸   Z₄₉⁹  Z₄₉⁴²
 Z₄₉²²  Z₄₉⁴¹  Z₄₉⁴⁶  Z₄₉²⁴
 Z₄₉¹⁵  Z₄₉¹⁹  Z₄₉⁴⁰   Z₄₉³
 Z₄₉²⁰  Z₄₉²⁹  Z₄₉³⁶  Z₄₉²⁰

julia> inv(m)
4×4 Matrix{FFE{7}}:
 Z₄₉³⁷   Z₄₉⁵  Z₄₉³⁶      1
 Z₄₉¹⁰    Z₄₉   Z₄₉⁶  Z₄₉⁴⁷
 Z₄₉³⁰  Z₄₉³⁸    Z₄₉     -2
 Z₄₉¹⁵   Z₄₉²      1  Z₄₉²⁸

julia> inv(m)*m
4×4 Matrix{FFE{7}}:
 1  0  0  0
 0  1  0  0
 0  0  1  0
 0  0  0  1

source

# FiniteFields.FFE — Type.

FFE{p} is the type of the elements of a finite field of characteristic p.

source

# FiniteFields.FFE — Method.

FFE{p}(i) for i an integer or a fraction with denominator prime to p returns the reduction mod p of i, an element of the prime field 𝔽ₚ.

source

# FiniteFields.Z — Method.

Z(p^d)

returns a generator of the multiplicative group of the finite field 𝔽_{pᵈ}, where   p must be prime and pᵈ smaller than 2¹⁵. This multiplicative group is cyclic thus Z(pᵈ)ᵃ runs over it for a in 0:pᵈ-1. The zero of the field is 0*Z(p) (the same as 0*Z(pᵈ); we automatically lower an element to the smallest field which contains it).

The various generators returned by Z for finite fields of characteristic p are compatible. That is, if the field 𝔽_{pⁿ} is a subfield of the field 𝔽_{pᵐ}, that is, n divides m, then Z(pⁿ)=Z(pᵐ)^div(pᵐ-1,pⁿ-1). This is achieved by choosing Z(p) as the smallest primitive root modulo p and Z(pⁿ) as a root of the n-th Conway polynomial of characteristic p. Those polynomials where defined by J.H.~Conway and computed by R.A.~Parker.

julia> z=Z(16)
FFE{2}: Z₁₆

julia> z^5
FFE{2}: Z₄

source

# FiniteFields.Modulo — Module.

This module introduces modular arithmetic.

The integer x mod. n is constructed by the function Mod(x,n). If n isa Int the result is of type Mod{UInt64}. If n isa BigInt the result is of type Mod{BigInt}. Since n is not encoded in the type, the elements 0 and 1 mod. n cannot be constructed from the type, which causes some problems for some Julia functionality (for instance inv on a matrix does not work). For prime moduli p, the type FFE{p} in FiniteFields does not have such limitations.

Example:

julia> a=Mod(5,19)
Mod{UInt64}: 5₁₉

julia> a^2
Mod{UInt64}: 6₁₉

julia> inv(a)
Mod{UInt64}: 4₁₉

julia> a*inv(a)
Mod{UInt64}: 1₁₉

julia> a+2
Mod{UInt64}: 7₁₉

julia> a*2
Mod{UInt64}: -9₁₉

julia> a+1//2
Mod{UInt64}: -4₁₉

julia> Integer(a) # get back an integer from a
5

julia> order(a) # multiplicative order of a
9

source