RE: Finding a relative prime
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg19694] RE: [mg19682] Finding a relative prime
- From: "Ersek, Ted R" <ErsekTR at navair.navy.mil>
- Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1999 16:36:02 -0400
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Timur Tabi wrote:
------------------------
I'm using Mathematica 3.0 for the Mac, and I'm trying to figure out how to
get it to pick a random number that is relatively prime to another number,
p-1, where p is prime. In other words, pick a random number k such that
1) k is between 2 and p-1,
2) k is relatively prime to p-1.
------------------------
This should work:
PickNumber[p_?PrimeQ]:=
Module[{tst,k},
While[tst=!=1,
k=Random[Integer,{2,p-2}];
tst=GCD[k,p-1]
];
k
]
However, when p=2,3,5,7
there is only one integer less than (p-1)
that is relatively prime to (p-1), and that doesn't
allow for a very random outcome.
--------------------
Regards,
Ted Ersek
For Mathematica tips, tricks see
http://www.dot.net.au/~elisha/ersek/Tricks.html