Alin Bostan 2026-11-05
Alin Bostan developed a fast algorithm with Ryuhei Mori for computing a distant term of a linear recurrence. The method extracts coefficients of a rational generating function by repeatedly reducing the target index through parity. Its arithmetic cost grows logarithmically with that index, avoiding sequential computation of all preceding terms.[ref]
Bostan-Mori algorithm Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
The Bostan-Mori algorithm computes without expanding all preceding coefficients. Work over a commutative ring with a unit; then the quotient defines a formal power series.
Set and . The polynomial contains only even powers. Define
Because the denominator is even, selecting the numerator parity matching proves
Iterate until , then return . With bounded numerator/denominator polynomial degrees , the arithmetic complexity is , where is the cost of multiplying degree- polynomials.
For , the denominator update is . An odd index also multiplies the numerator by , recovering the familiar binary-powering pattern.[ref]
Ryuhei Mori 2026-11-05
Ryuhei Mori coauthored the 2021 algorithm for distant terms of a linear recurrence with Alin Bostan. Their Bostan-Mori algorithm uses coefficient extraction on a rational generating function by repeatedly halving the requested index.[ref]
Multiplying numerator and denominator by makes the denominator even. Selecting the numerator's polynomial coefficients at even or odd powers according to the index parity reduces the problem to index . With recurrence order , the method uses arithmetic operations, where is the cost of multiplying polynomials of polynomial degree . This reaches a distant term without computing every preceding term.