Integer factorization is the process of decomposing an integer into a product of smaller integers, specifically into prime numbers. For example, the integer 28 can be factored into prime numbers as \(2^2 \times 7\), where 2 and 7 are prime numbers. The goal of factorization is to find these prime factors. The significance of integer factorization lies in its applications, particularly in number theory and cryptography.
Articles by others on the same topic
Complexity: NP-intermediate as of 2020:
- expected not to be NP-complete because it would imply NP != Co-NP: cstheory.stackexchange.com/questions/167/what-are-the-consequences-of-factoring-being-np-complete#comment104849_169
- expected not to be in P because "could we be that dumb that we haven't found a solution after having tried for that long?