Applications
One important application of Berlekamp's algorithm is in computing discrete logarithms over finite fields, where is prime and . Computing discrete logarithms is an important problem in public key cryptography. For a finite field, the fastest known method is the index calculus method, which involves the factorisation of field elements. If we represent the field in the usual way - that is, as polynomials over the base field, reduced modulo an irreducible polynomial of degree - then this is simply polynomial factorisation, as provided by Berlekamp's algorithm.
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