Rigorous methods for computational number theory

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: de Boer, Koen, Pellet-Mary, Alice, Wesolowski, Benjamin
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author de Boer, Koen
Pellet-Mary, Alice
Wesolowski, Benjamin
author_facet de Boer, Koen
Pellet-Mary, Alice
Wesolowski, Benjamin
contents We present the first algorithm for computing class groups and unit groups of arbitrary number fields that provably runs in probabilistic subexponential time, assuming the Extended Riemann Hypothesis (ERH). Previous subexponential algorithms were either restricted to imaginary quadratic fields, or relied on several heuristic assumptions that have long resisted rigorous analysis. The heart of our method is a new general strategy to provably solve a recurring computational problem in number theory (assuming ERH): given an ideal class $[\mathfrak{a}]$ of a number field $K$, sample an ideal $\mathfrak b \in [\mathfrak{a}]$ belonging to a particular family of ideals (e.g., the family of smooth ideals, or near-prime ideals). More precisely, let $\mathcal{S}$ be an arbitrary family of ideals, and $\mathcal{S}_B$ the family of $B$-smooth ideals. We describe an efficient algorithm that samples ideals $\mathfrak b \in [\mathfrak{a}]$ such that $\mathfrak b \in \mathcal{S} \cdot\mathcal{S}_B$ with probability proportional to the density of $\mathcal{S}$ within the set of all ideals. The case where $\mathcal{S}$ is the set of prime ideals yields the family $\mathcal{S}\cdot\mathcal{S}_B$ of near-prime ideals, of particular interest in that it constitutes a dense family of efficiently factorable ideals. The case of smooth ideals $\mathcal{S} = \mathcal{S}_B$ regularly comes up in index-calculus algorithms (notably to compute class groups and unit groups), where it has long constituted a theoretical obstacle overcome only by heuristic arguments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_01588
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Rigorous methods for computational number theory
de Boer, Koen
Pellet-Mary, Alice
Wesolowski, Benjamin
Number Theory
11Y16, 11Y40, 68Q25, 11R29, 11R27 (primary), 68W40, 68W30, 11R45 (secondary)
F.2.1; I.1.2; G.4
We present the first algorithm for computing class groups and unit groups of arbitrary number fields that provably runs in probabilistic subexponential time, assuming the Extended Riemann Hypothesis (ERH). Previous subexponential algorithms were either restricted to imaginary quadratic fields, or relied on several heuristic assumptions that have long resisted rigorous analysis. The heart of our method is a new general strategy to provably solve a recurring computational problem in number theory (assuming ERH): given an ideal class $[\mathfrak{a}]$ of a number field $K$, sample an ideal $\mathfrak b \in [\mathfrak{a}]$ belonging to a particular family of ideals (e.g., the family of smooth ideals, or near-prime ideals). More precisely, let $\mathcal{S}$ be an arbitrary family of ideals, and $\mathcal{S}_B$ the family of $B$-smooth ideals. We describe an efficient algorithm that samples ideals $\mathfrak b \in [\mathfrak{a}]$ such that $\mathfrak b \in \mathcal{S} \cdot\mathcal{S}_B$ with probability proportional to the density of $\mathcal{S}$ within the set of all ideals. The case where $\mathcal{S}$ is the set of prime ideals yields the family $\mathcal{S}\cdot\mathcal{S}_B$ of near-prime ideals, of particular interest in that it constitutes a dense family of efficiently factorable ideals. The case of smooth ideals $\mathcal{S} = \mathcal{S}_B$ regularly comes up in index-calculus algorithms (notably to compute class groups and unit groups), where it has long constituted a theoretical obstacle overcome only by heuristic arguments.
title Rigorous methods for computational number theory
topic Number Theory
11Y16, 11Y40, 68Q25, 11R29, 11R27 (primary), 68W40, 68W30, 11R45 (secondary)
F.2.1; I.1.2; G.4
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.01588