2002-12-12:DAV:
why are there so many different programs for the HP48 to factor numbers ?
I don't mind everyone trying to write their own, tweaking and improving ...
but I don't see the point of dozens of versions cluttering up the archive.
    http://www.hpcalc.org/
(I could see maybe 3 or 4 versions, if they did something significantly differently).

DAV:
must be correct
must have source code
prefers small
prefers RPL (can type in by hand...)
prefers fast
.

Here's my evaluation of all the factor routines I found on
    http://www.hpcalc.org/
:

Algebra Library: algbr301.zip
by Davide Di Gennaro (HPPF)
FACTR: integer --> {prime factors}
factor.s (sysRPL)


CAS48
by Jaime Fernando Meza Meza
claims to have a ``factor'' routine, but I don't see it.

Factor: factor13.zip
by  Ty: http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/1360/
no source code.


Factor: factor11.zip
by Jurjen N.E. Bos
factor.src (sysRPL)

Factor Small Numbers: factnums.zip
by John H Meyers
A small unsophisticated User-RPL program which can factor small integers is
offered below.  It can factor any 6-digit number in less than 4 seconds,
or any 8-digit number in less than 40 seconds, although most arguments
can be factored much faster than these worst-case times
...
along the lines of "try every possible
divisor," it has been speeded up considerably by trying 2, 3, and 5
at the outset, ... 



Factor4
by Brentan Alexander: factor4.zip
UserRPL
... seems to use globals more than DAV ...


Factorize: factori.zip
by José M. Alarcón Aguin
UserRPL
... seems to use globals more than DAV ...

Prime Factorizer routines: prime.zip
by Joseph K. Horn
UserRPL
(DAV: prime.txt)


Prime Factors: facprem.zip
by Arnaud Bétrémieux
... seems to use globals more than DAV ...


PRIMEFAC: prfac.zip
by Gerson Washiski Barbosa
userRPL
(DAV: Primefac)



Shank's Square Form Factorisation: shanks.zip
by Gerald Hillier
can factorize 56048906482237 in 89 seconds.
(no source ?)



TRIAL: trial.zip
(no source ?)
written in mcode


Whole Number Factorize: factwalnum.zip
by Catello Erbi
(no source ?)








------------------------------

``fast'' implies timing functions:
TICKS (returns system time in ticks, each tick is 1/8192 of a second)
TEVAL




Joseph K. Horn
http://HolyJoe.Org


Probe (Benchmark) 1.0
http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/1360/userrpl.html