Inventors:
Ian F. Blake - Palo Alto CA
Ron M. Roth - Ramat Gan, IL
Gadiel Seroussi - Cupertino CA
Assignee:
Hewlett-Packard Company - Palo Alto CA
International Classification:
G06F 700
Abstract:
A method and apparatus are shown for performing efficient arithmetic on binary vectors in a finite field. Typically, there is an efficient algorithm within an execution context, such as hardware or software, for performing a selected arithmetic operation on an operand. When the operand is in a first representative format and the efficient algorithm operates in an alternative representation format, then the operand is permutated from the first representative format to the alternative representation format. The efficient algorithm is then performed on the operand in the alternative representation format in order to obtain a result in the alternative representation format. The result is then permutated from the alternative representation format to the first representation format. Thus, efficient arithmetic is obtained by using the most efficient algorithm available in either the first representation format or the alternative representation format and permuting operands and results to the representation format corresponding to the most efficient algorithm available.