prime factorization

[ prahym fak-ter-uh-zey-shuhn ]

noun

, Mathematics.

1. 1. the process of resolving a number into its prime factors.
   2. the resulting mathematical expression, such as 18 = 2 × 3 × 3.

Word History and Origins

Origin of prime factorization¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The idea is to express the matrix as a product of simpler matrices—similar to the prime factorization of a number.

From Scientific American

The implications were immediately obvious: prime factorization was the backbone of modern encryption.

From Scientific American

I appreciated it even more when I saw how the poem was based on the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, which states that every whole number greater than 1 has a unique prime factorization.

From Scientific American

Data encryption typically relies on the practical difficulty of a process called prime factorization.

From Nature

Many developments are needed to turn these nanomagnet chips into practical computing engines: the ability to connect thousands of p-bits to each other; a demonstration of combining p-bits and transistors in an integrated circuit; and a calculation of the time and energy needed to achieve prime factorization of huge numbers using these methods.

From Nature