# How to express each element in a field F as a power of a primitive element? [closed]

I have a field F(2^4) and it is represented as a residue ring of the polynomials over F2 modulo the polynomial β4+β3+β2+β+1.

I want to express each element in this field as a power of a primitive element β+1.

My questions are : 1) What are the elements of the fields? 2) How to express them as power of the given primitive element?

Any hint will be very helpful.

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## closed as off-topic by Dilip Sarwate, Claude Leibovici, T. Bongers, John, egregApr 13 '14 at 9:58

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This question has been asked and answered on crypto.SE where the OP has already accepted an answer. He even made the same mistake: computing $g^{15}$ and finding that it equals $g^8$ in the comments there. –  Dilip Sarwate Apr 13 '14 at 3:06

To construct $\mathbb{F}_{16}$ first you need to find a degree $4$ polynomial which is irreducible over $\mathbb{F}_2.$ The only irreducible quadratic is $x^2+x+1$ so any degree $4$ polynomial which is not $(x^2+x+1)^2 = x^4+x^2+1$ and does not have a root in $\mathbb{F}_2$ is irreducible (think about this). The polynomial $x^4+x+1$ works well for us then:

$$\mathbb{F}_{16} = \frac{ \mathbb{F}_2[x] }{ ( x^4+x+1) } .$$

So the elements of $\mathbb{F}_{16}$ are polynomials in $\mathbb{F}_2$ modulo the ideal $(x^4+x+1).$ Given any polynomial, you can apply the division algorithm to get a unique coset representation of the form $a+bx+cx^2+dx^4 + (x^4+x+1),$ and all of these are possible so this describes the elements of the field.

The group of units of this field has order $15,$ and the primitive elements are precisely those with order $15.$ The order of an element must divide the order of the group, so if we can find an element which does not have order $1,3$ or $5$ then it is a primitive element. A quick calculation shows that $x$ satisfies this.

Now to get every element as a power of the primitive element: Don't start with an element like $x+x^2+x^3$ and try to recognize it as a power of $x.$ Rather, compute and simplify (using $x^4=x+1$) all powers of $x.$ So the elements are

\begin{align} 0,& 1, x ,x^2, x^3 \\x^4 &= x+1, \\ x^5 &= x^2+x, \\ x^6 &= x^3+x^2, \\ x^7 &= x^4+x^3 = x^3+x+1, \\ x^8 &= x^4+x^2+x = x^2+1, \\ x^9 &= x^3+x, \\ x^{10} &= x^4+x^2 = x^2+x+1, \\ x^{11} &= x^3+x^2+x, \\ x^{12} &= x^4+x^3+x^2 = x^3+x^2 +x+1, \\ x^{13} &= x^4+x^3+x^2+x = x^3+x^2+1, \\ x^{14} &= x^4+x^3+x = x^3+1. \end{align}

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I think the OP already has a polynomial: $\beta^4+\beta^3+\beta^2+\beta+1$. –  TonyK Apr 11 '14 at 9:21
@TonyK I wasn't sure what OP meant. Hopefully my answer will still help them figure out how to do their question. –  Ragib Zaman Apr 11 '14 at 9:25
@RagibZaman Amazing Explaination sir. Yes your answer make it understand how to do it, though as TonyK said, it has a polynomial β4+β3+β2+β+1 . But your answer helps me to understand the concept which suffices my needs :) Thanks again. –  kingmakerking Apr 11 '14 at 11:47
@RagibZamanI figured out that for g^15 = g^8... Is it something weird? Am I doing something wrong or it is possible. I did not try after g15. here my g = β+1 –  kingmakerking Apr 11 '14 at 15:12
@sidnext2none You have definitely done something wrong. First exercise: Think of some reasons why $g^{15}=g^8$ should not be true. Second: Re-do your working. How did you compute $g^{15}?$ Compute $g^5$ and then cube that, you should be getting $1$. If you dont then something has already occurred wrong by the computation of $g^5.$ If it doesn't fix, edit your question to include your working and we will try to spot your mistake. –  Ragib Zaman Apr 11 '14 at 15:57