Fermat's factorization method: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:31, 10 April 2008

Revision as of 04:32, 10 April 2008

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'''[[Fermat]]'s factorization method''' is abased on the representation of an [[even and odd numbers|odd]] [[integer]] as the [[difference of two squares]]:

:<math>N = a^2 - b^2.</math>

That difference is [[algebra]]ically factorable as <math>(a+b)(a-b)</math>; if neither factor equals one, it is a proper factorization of ''N''.