Faster Modular Composition

Abstract

A new Las Vegas algorithm is presented for the composition of two polynomials modulo a third one, over an arbitrary field. When the degrees of these polynomials are bounded by n , the algorithm uses O ( n 1.43 ) field operations, breaking through the 3/2 barrier in the exponent for the first time. The previous fastest algebraic algorithms, due to Brent and Kung in 1978, require O ( n 1.63 ) field operations in general, and n 3/2+ o (1) field operations in the special case of power series over a field of large enough characteristic. If cubic-time matrix multiplication is used, the new algorithm runs in n 5/3+ o (1) operations, while previous ones run in O ( n 2 ) operations. Our approach relies on the computation of a matrix of algebraic relations that is typically of small size. Randomization is used to reduce arbitrary input to this favorable situation.