---
name: "primefactors"
section: "3bobcat"
platform: "linux"
package: "libbobcat-dev"
version: "6.07.01-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/primefactors"
---

# primefactors(3bobcat)

Performs the prime-number factorization of (BigInt) values

## NAME

FBB::PrimeFactors - Performs the prime-number factorization of (BigInt) values

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<bobcat/primefactors\>**\
 Linking option: *-lbobcat*

## DESCRIPTION

Integral values fall into two categories: prime numbers, whose only integral divisors are their own values and 1, and composite numbers, which also have at least one other (prime number) integral divisor. All composite integral values can be factorized as the product of prime numbers. E.g., 6 can be factorized as 2 \* 3; 8 can be factorized as 2 \* 2 \* 2. Finding these prime factors is called the prime number factorization, or \`prime factorization’. When factorizing a value its prime factors may sometimes repeatedly be used as integral divisors: 8 is factorized as *pow(2, 3)*, and 36 is factorized as

```
    36 = pow(2, 2) * pow(3, 2)
```

The class **FBB::PrimeFactors** performs prime number factorizations of *FBB::BigInt* values. When factorizing a value prime numbers up to *sqrt(value)* must be available, as prime numbers up to *sqrt(value)* may be factors of *value*. Currently *PrimeFactors* uses the sieve of Eratosthenes to find these prime numbers. To find the next prime number beyond *lastPrime*, the sieve of Eratosthenes must be used repeatedly for *lastPrime += 2* until *lastPrime* is prime. Once determined, prime numbers can of course be used directly to determine the next prime number or to factorize an integral value. To accellerate prime number factorization and Eratosthenes’s sieve **PrimeFactors** saves all its computed prime numbers in either a *std::vector* or in a file. Once determined, these prime numbers may again be used when factorizing the next integral value.

After factorizing an integral value its prime number factors and associated powers are made available in a vector of (*PrimeFactors::PrimePower*) structs, containing the value’s sorted prime factors and associated powers.

## NAMESPACE

**FBB**\
 All constructors, members, operators and manipulators, mentioned in this man-page, are defined in the namespace **FBB**.

## INHERITS FROM

\-

## TYPEDEFS AND ENUMS

- o

  **struct PrimePower**:\
   contains two fields:

  ```
      struct PrimePower
      {
          BigInt prime;
          size_t power;
      };
  ```

  Here, *power* represents the number of times *prime* can be used as an integral divisor of the value that was factorized by **PrimeFactors**.

-

  - o

  **Factors**:\
   is a synonym for *std::vector\<PrimePower*

## CONSTRUCTORS

- o

  **PrimeFactors(BigIntVector &primes)**:\
   Prime numbers that were determined while factorizing values are collected in the *BigIntVector* that is passed as argument to this constructor.

-

  Initially the *BigIntVector* passed as argument may be empty or may contain at least two primes (which must be, respectively, 2 and 3). The prime numbers in *primes* must be sorted. The constructor does not verify whether the prime numbers are actually sorted, but if the *BigIntVector* contains primes it *does* check whether the first two prime numbers are indeed 2 and 3. An *FBB::Exception* is thrown if this condition is not met.

-

  While numbers are being factorized, new prime numbers may be added to *primes*, and *primes* can be reused by othher *PrimeFactors* objects.

-

  - o

  **PrimeFactors(std::string const &name = "~/.primes", size\_t blockSize =** **1000)**:\
   Prime numbers that are determined while factorizing values are collected on a stream whose name is passed as argument to this constructor. By default *~/.primes* is used. If *name* starts with \`*~/*’, then this string is replaced by the user’s home directory.

-

  Primes are read from the named stream in blocks of at most *blockSize*, and new primes are flushed to this stream once *blockSize* new primes have been generated or when the **PrimeFactors** object (i.e., the last **PrimeFactors** object sharing the stream) ceases to exist.

-

  If the stream does not yet exist it is created by **PrimeFactors**. The stream may either be empty, or it must contain sorted and white-space delimited prime numbers (inserted as hexadecimal *BigInt* values). The first two primes on this file must be, respectively, 2 and 3. The constructor does not verify whether the prime numbers are actually sorted, but if the stream contains primes it *does* check whether the first two prime numbers are indeed 2 and 3. An *FBB::Exception* is thrown if this condition is not met.

-

  While numbers are being factorized, new prime numbers may be added to the stream, and the stream can be reused by other *PrimeFactors* objects.

Copy and move constructors (and assignment operators) are available.

**FBB::PrimeFactor** objects created using the copy constructor or receiving their values using the copy assignment operator share the prime numbers storage device (the *BigIntVector* or the stream containing the primes) with their source objects.

## MEMBER FUNCTION

- o

  **Factors const &factorize(BigInt const &value)**:\
   The prime factors of *value* are determined and returned in the *PrimeFactors::Factors* vectors. While the prime factors of *value* are determined new prime numbers may be added to the *BigIntVector* or to the stream that is passed to the **PrimeFactors** object. The elements of *PrimeFactors::Factors* are sorted by their prime numbers. The first element contains the value’s smallest prime number factor.

## EXAMPLE

```
#include <iostream>
#include <bobcat/primefactors>
using namespace std;
using namespace FBB;
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
    PrimeFactors pf1("/tmp/primes");
    PrimeFactors::Factors const *factors = &pf1.factorize(stoull(argv[1]));
    cout << "Using /tmp/primes:\n";
    for (auto &factor: *factors)
        cout << factor.prime << "**" << factor.power << ’ ’;
    vector<BigInt> primes;
    PrimeFactors pf2(primes);
    factors = &pf2.factorize(stoull(argv[1]));
    cout << "\n"
            "Using BigIntVector:\n";
    for (auto &factor: *factors)
        cout << factor.prime << "**" << factor.power << ’ ’;
    cout << "\n"
            "Collected primes: ";
    for (auto &prime: primes)
        cout << prime << ’ ’;
    cout << ’\n’;
}
```

If this program is run with argument 1950 it produces the following output:

```
    Using /tmp/primes:
    2**1 3**1 5**2 13**1
    Using BigIntVector:
    2**1 3**1 5**2 13**1
    Collected primes: 2 3 5 7 11 13
```

## FILES

*bobcat/primefactors* - defines the class interface

## SEE ALSO

[**bobcat**(7)](/bobcat/7.md), [**bigint**(3bobcat)](/bigint/3bobcat.md)

## BUGS

None Reported.

## BOBCAT PROJECT FILES

- o

  *https://fbb-git.gitlab.io/bobcat/*: gitlab project page;

Debian Bobcat project files:

- o

  *libbobcat6*: debian package containing the shared library, changelog and copyright note;

- o

  *libbobcat-dev*: debian package containing the static library, headers, manual pages, and developer info;

## BOBCAT

Bobcat is an acronym of \`Brokken’s Own Base Classes And Templates’.

## COPYRIGHT

This is free software, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).

## AUTHOR

Frank B. Brokken (**f.b.brokken@rug.nl**).