Pollard's kangaroo algorithm: Difference between revisions

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The second is "Pollard's lambda algorithm". Much like the name of another of Pollard's discrete logarithm algorithms, [[Pollard's rho algorithm for logarithms|Pollard's rho algorithm]], this name refers to the similarity between a visualisation of the algorithm and the [[Greek letter]] [[lambda]] (<math>\lambda</math>). The longer stroke of the letter lambda corresponds to the sequence <math>\{x_i\}</math>. The shorter stroke corresponds to the sequence <math>\{y_i\}</math>, which "collides with" the first sequence (just like the strokes of a lambda intersect) and then follows it subsequently.

Pollard has expressed a preference for the name "kangaroo algorithm"<ref>http://jmptidcottsites.googlepagesgoogle.com/nthy.htmlsite/jmptidcott2/</ref>, as this avoids confusion with some parallel versions of his rho algorithm, which have also been called "lambda algorithms".

==See also==