Pollard Rho Brent Integer Factorization
Pollard Rho is an integer factorization algorithm, which is quite fast for large numbers. It is based on Floyd’s cycle-finding algorithm and on the observation that two numbers x and y are congruent modulo p with probability 0.5 after numbers have been randomly chosen.
Algorithm Input : A number N to be factorized Output : A divisor of N If x mod 2 is 0 return 2 Choose random x and c y = x g = 1 while g=1 x = f(x) y = f(f(y)) g = gcd(x-y,N) return g
Note that this algorithm may not find the factors and will return failure for composite n. In that case, use a different f(x) and try again. Note, as well, that this algorithm does not work when n is a prime number, since, in this case, d will be always 1. We choose f(x) = x*x + c. Here’s a python implementation :
def pollardRho(N):
if N%2==0:
return 2
x = random.randint(1, N-1)
y = x
c = random.randint(1, N-1)
g = 1
while g==1:
x = ((x*x)%N+c)%N
y = ((y*y)%N+c)%N
y = ((y*y)%N+c)%N
g = gcd(abs(x-y),N)
return g
In 1980, Richard Brent published a faster variant of the rho algorithm. He used the same core ideas as Pollard but a different method of cycle detection, replacing Floyd’s cycle-finding algorithm with the related Brent’s cycle finding method. It is quite faster than pollard rho. Here’s a python implementation :
def brent(N):
if N%2==0:
return 2
y,c,m = random.randint(1, N-1),random.randint(1, N-1),random.randint(1, N-1)
g,r,q = 1,1,1
while g==1:
x = y
for i in range(r):
y = ((y*y)%N+c)%N
k = 0
while (k<r and g==1):
ys = y
for i in range(min(m,r-k)):
y = ((y*y)%N+c)%N
q = q*(abs(x-y))%N
g = gcd(q,N)
k = k + m
r = r*2
if g==N:
while True:
ys = ((ys*ys)%N+c)%N
g = gcd(abs(x-ys),N)
if g>1:
break
return g
-fR0DDY


Found your note about Pollard’s method. It always sounded intimidating…and then I read about it; found your page; it all doesn’t seem so bad.
sympy, a CAS in pure python, has this method as part of it’s number theory module. You might be interested in checking it out.
C Smith
October 12, 2010 at 1:02 AM
Thanks, very Useful.
Though I need analyse these codes… but the more Description, the more useful…
Tnx
Afshin
February 2, 2011 at 2:58 AM
Great blog bro.
Ahmet Alp Balkan
March 31, 2011 at 4:47 PM
how do we get all the distinct factors of an integer by this method?
Thanks.
pranay
August 1, 2011 at 11:27 PM
This is the best idea about integer factorization, written here is to let more people know and participate.
A New Way of the integer factorization
1+2+3+4+……+k=Ny,(k<N/2),"k" and "y" are unknown integer,"N" is known Large integer.
True gold fears fire, you can test 1+2+3+…+k=Ny(k<N/2).
How do I know "k" and "y"?
"P" is a factor of "N",GCD(k,N)=P.
Two Special Presentation:
N=5287
1+2+3+…k=Ny
Using the dichotomy
1+2+3+…k=Nrm
"r" are parameter(1;1.25;1.5;1.75;2;2.25;2.5;2.75;3;3.25;3.5;3.75)
"m" is Square
(K^2+k)/(2*4)=5287*1.75 k=271.5629(Error)
(K^2+k)/(2*16)=5287*1.75 k=543.6252(Error)
(K^2+k)/(2*64)=5287*1.75 k=1087.7500(Error)
(K^2+k)/(2*256)=5287*1.75 k=2176(OK)
K=2176,y=448
GCD(2176,5287)=17
5287=17*311
N=13717421
1+2+3+…+k=13717421y
K=4689099,y=801450
GCD(4689099,13717421)=3803
13717421=3803*3607
The idea may be a more simple way faster than Fermat's factorization method(x^2-N=y^2)!
True gold fears fire, you can test 1+2+3+…+k=Ny(k<N/2).
More details of the process in my G+ and BLOG.
My G+ :https://plus.google.com/u/0/108286853661218386235/posts
My BLOG:http://hi.baidu.com/s_wanfu/item/00cd4d3c5a2fd089f5e4ad0a
Email:wanfu.sun@gmail.com
s-987618
November 22, 2012 at 7:23 PM
hey thanks a lot for this, I appreciate it. I looked through a couple of different pages and this is the first one that really made sense.
alexr1090
May 1, 2013 at 10:13 PM
Glad I could help.
fR0DDY
May 1, 2013 at 10:45 PM