Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 124 4 iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
We give the Agrawal–Biswas primality test, which has one-sided error. Small inputs and perfect powers can first be recognized deterministically. For every remaining integer , put and choose a uniformly random monic polynomialUsing repeated squaring in the quotient ring , test the identityThis takes time polynomial in because every intermediate polynomial has degree below .
If is prime, the intermediate binomial coefficients are divisible by , so the identity always holds. Now suppose that is composite and is not a prime power. Choose a prime divisor and write with and . Over ,because an intermediate coefficient equal to is nonzero modulo . Henceis a nonzero polynomial of degree below over .
Reduction of random modulo is uniform among the monic degree- polynomials. The polynomial has at most distinct monic irreducible factors of degree . On the other hand, the number of monic irreducibles of degree obeys the standard lower boundWhenever is one of these irreducibles but does not divide , the tested congruence fails. Thus one trial detects compositeness with probability at leastafter the finitely many small are handled directly. Repeating times makes the probability of missing a composite less than , while a prime is never rejected. Therefore compositeness is in RP, and primality testing is in