FactorInteger

FactorInteger[n]

gives a list of the prime factors of the integer n, together with their exponents.

FactorInteger[n,k]

does partial factorization, pulling out at most k distinct factors.

Details and Options

  • FactorInteger is also known as prime factorization.
  • For a positive number n=p1k1⋯ pmkm with pi primes, FactorInteger[n] gives a list {{p1,k1},…,{pm,km}}.
  • For negative numbers, the unit {-1,1} is included in the list of factors.
  • FactorInteger also works on rational numbers. The prime factors of the denominator are given with negative exponents.
  • FactorInteger[n,GaussianIntegers->True] factors over Gaussian integers.
  • FactorInteger[m+I n] automatically works over Gaussian integers.
  • When necessary, a unit of the form {-1,1}, {I,1} or {-I,1} is included in the list of factors.
  • The last element in the list FactorInteger[n,k] gives what is left after the partial factorization.
  • FactorInteger[n,Automatic] pulls out only factors that are easy to find.
  • FactorInteger uses PrimeQ to determine whether factors are prime.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (2)

Find prime factors of and their exponents:

Plot the number of distinct prime factors of the first 100 numbers:

Scope  (6)

FactorInteger works over integers:

Rational numbers:

Gaussian integers:

Find a partial factorization:

Compute for large integers:

FactorInteger threads over lists:

Options  (1)

GaussianIntegers  (1)

Factor a number over integers:

Gaussian integers:

Applications  (12)

Basic Applications  (5)

Every positive integer can be represented as a product of prime factors:

A unit factor:

Plot the number of distinct prime factors of numbers up to :

Compare with the number of distinct prime factors over the Gaussian integers:

Display as an explicit product of factors:

Use FactorInteger to test for prime powers:

Use FactorInteger to find all prime divisors of a number:

Number Theory  (7)

Use FactorInteger to compute the number of divisors of the number:

Use FactorInteger to recognize powerful numbers, numbers whose prime factors are all repeated:

Find factorizations of numbers of the form :

Find all natural numbers up to 100 that are primes or prime powers:

The highest power of a prime in numbers up to 100:

Find primes that appear in prime factorization of only to the first power:

Use FactorInteger to compute the square-free part of a number:

Visualize the distribution:

Properties & Relations  (9)

The prime factorization of a prime number is itself:

Prime powers:

Composite numbers have at least two prime factors including multiplicities:

Compute the original number from a factorization:

Exponents in the prime factorization of a square-free number are all :

Divisors gives the list of divisors including prime divisors:

PrimeNu gives the number of distinct prime factors:

PrimeOmega gives the number of prime factors counting multiplicities:

Coprime numbers have no prime factors in common:

If the prime factorization of n is given by , then the number of divisors of n is :

Possible Issues  (2)

Timings can increase rapidly and unpredictably with the size of the input:

FactorInteger at zero:

Wolfram Research (1988), FactorInteger, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FactorInteger.html (updated 2007).

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), FactorInteger, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FactorInteger.html (updated 2007).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "FactorInteger." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2007. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FactorInteger.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1988). FactorInteger. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FactorInteger.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2024_factorinteger, author="Wolfram Research", title="{FactorInteger}", year="2007", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FactorInteger.html}", note=[Accessed: 21-November-2024 ]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2024_factorinteger, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={FactorInteger}, year={2007}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FactorInteger.html}, note=[Accessed: 21-November-2024 ]}