Moby ints [Re: Num Rat]

[Jim Gillogly <jim@acm.org>]

> pjm@ionia.engr.sgi.com (Patrick May) writes:
> This invocation of the name of the diety reminds me of a question
> I've been meaning to ask.  Is Knuth still a good source of algorithms
> for implementing large integers or do more recent books exist that
> contain superior methods?

While Knuth is now and forever the algorithm deity in general, Arjen
Lenstra is as close to godhood as one can get in moby ints these days.

I'd look at the Lip package Lenstra wrote; it's used in his state of the
art factoring programs.  It's available with masses of PostScript
documentation from ftp.ox.ac.uk.  Studying the code and docs might remind
you of some issues that aren't obvious... and, of course, you might decide
you don't need to write a moby int package, but could just use his library.

	Jim Gillogly
	Hevensday, 18 Afterlithe S.R. 1995, 18:48