ffgen

Function: ffgen
Section: number_theoretical
C-Name: ffgen
Prototype: GDn
Help: ffgen(k,{v = 'x}): return a generator of the finite field k
 (not necessarily a generator of its multiplicative group) as a t_FFELT.
 k can be given by its order q, the pair [p,f] with q=p^f, by an irreducible
 polynomial with t_INTMOD coefficients, or by a finite field element.
 If v is given, the variable name is used to display g, else the variable of
 the polynomial or finite field element, or x if only the order was given.

Doc: return a generator for the finite field $k$ as a \typ{FFELT}.
 The field $k$ can be given by

 \item its order $q$

 \item the pair $[p,f]$ where $q=p^f$

 \item a monic irreducible polynomial with \typ{INTMOD} coefficients modulo a
       prime.

 \item a \typ{FFELT} belonging to $k$.

 If \kbd{v} is given, the variable name is used to display $g$, else the
 variable of the polynomial or the \typ{FFELT} is used, else $x$ is used.

 When only the order is specified, the function uses the polynomial generated
 by \kbd{ffinit} and is deterministic: two calls to the function with the
 same parameters will always give the same generator.

 For efficiency, the characteristic is not checked to be prime; similarly
 if a polynomial is given, we do not check whether it is irreducible.

 To obtain a multiplicative generator, call \kbd{ffprimroot} on the result.

 \bprog
 ? g = ffgen(16, 't);
 ? g.mod \\ recover the underlying polynomial.
 %2 = t^4+t^3+t^2+t+1
 ? g.pol \\ lift g as a t_POL
 %3 = t
 ? g.p \\ recover the characteristic
 %4 = 2
 ? fforder(g) \\ g is not a multiplicative generator
 %5 = 5
 ? a = ffprimroot(g) \\ recover a multiplicative generator
 %6 = t^3+t^2+t
 ? fforder(a)
 %7 = 15
 @eprog

Variant:
 To create a generator for a prime finite field, the function
 \fun{GEN}{p_to_GEN}{GEN p, long v} returns \kbd{ffgen(p,v)\^{}0}.