factorization into primes
noun phraseUK /ˌfæktəraɪˈzeɪʃən ˈɪntuː praɪmz/
US /ˌfæktərɪˈzeɪʃən ˈɪntu praɪmz/
Breaking a number into the prime numbers that multiply together to make it.
The factorization into primes of 12 is 2 × 2 × 3.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The process of writing a polynomial as a product of irreducible factors.
The factorization into primes of x² − 1 gives (x − 1)(x + 1).
3. A unique representation of a whole number as a product of primes, apart from order.
Every whole number greater than 1 has exactly one factorization into primes.
4. A method used in cryptography to break numbers into prime parts.
Modern encryption relies on how hard factorization into primes is for huge numbers.