System and method for efficient basis conversion

Abstract

This invention describes a method for evaluating a polynomial in an extension field Fqm, wherein the method comprises the steps of partitioning the polynomial into a plurality of parts, each part is comprised of smaller polynomials using a q-th power operation in a field of characteristic q; and computing for each part components of qth powers from components of smaller powers. A further embodiment of the invention provides for a method of converting a field element represented in terms of a first basis to its representation in a second basis, comprising the steps of partitioning a polynomial, being a polynomial in the second basis, into a plurality of parts, wherein each part is comprised of smaller polynomials using a qth power operation in a field of characteristic q; evaluating the polynomial at a root thereof by computing for each part components of qth powers from components of smaller powers; and evaluating the field element at the root of the polynomial.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.