[GAP Forum] Help needed with function Factors

Thu Mar 18 20:49:28 GMT 2010

Hi There,

I want to factor a polynomial in GF(2^3).

After I started GAP, I type the following commands (with outputs):

gap> f := GF(8);
GF(2^3)
gap> y := Indeterminate(f);
x_1
gap> pol := y^7 + Z(2)^0;
x_1^7+Z(2)^0
gap> Factors(pol);
[ x_1+Z(2)^0, x_1^3+x_1+Z(2)^0, x_1^3+x_1^2+Z(2)^0 ]

However, I expect the result to be all the non-zero elements in GF(2^3).  What am I missing?
(How can I evaluate p for Z(2^3)^2, for instance?)

Your time, effort and suggestions will be greatly appreciated
Jaco

_______________________________
Jaco Versfeld
Lecturer
Centre for Telecommunications Access and Services
School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg

Tel:         +27-11-717-7212
Email:     jaco.versfeld at wits.ac.za
web:      http://dept.ee.wits.ac.za/~versfeld

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