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In elementary algebra, factoring a polynomial reduces the problem of finding its roots to finding the roots of the factors. Polynomials with coefficients in the integers or in a field possess the unique factorization property , a version of the fundamental theorem of arithmetic with prime numbers replaced by irreducible polynomials .
Fermat's factorization method, named after Pierre de Fermat, is based on the representation of an odd integer as the difference of two squares: =. That difference is algebraically factorable as (+) (); if neither factor equals one, it is a proper factorization of N.
A general-purpose factoring algorithm, also known as a Category 2, Second Category, or Kraitchik family algorithm, [10] has a running time which depends solely on the size of the integer to be factored. This is the type of algorithm used to factor RSA numbers. Most general-purpose factoring algorithms are based on the congruence of squares method.
Modern algorithms and computers can quickly factor univariate polynomials of degree more than 1000 having coefficients with thousands of digits. [3] For this purpose, even for factoring over the rational numbers and number fields, a fundamental step is a factorization of a polynomial over a finite field.
The formula for the difference of two squares can be used for factoring polynomials that contain the square of a first quantity minus the square of a second quantity. For example, the polynomial x 4 − 1 {\displaystyle x^{4}-1} can be factored as follows:
In algebra, the factor theorem connects polynomial factors with polynomial roots. Specifically, if f ( x ) {\displaystyle f(x)} is a polynomial, then x − a {\displaystyle x-a} is a factor of f ( x ) {\displaystyle f(x)} if and only if f ( a ) = 0 {\displaystyle f(a)=0} (that is, a {\displaystyle a} is a root of the polynomial).