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 # This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public

 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this

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 =head1 NAME

  lap - compute least annihilating power of a number

 =head1 SYNOPSIS

  lap <a> <m>

 =head1 DESCRIPTION

 The B<lap> program computes the order of I<a> modulo I<m>, for

 arbitrary precision integers I<a> and I<m>.  The B<order> of I<a>

 modulo I<m> is defined as the smallest positive value I<n> for which

 I<a> raised to the I<n>th power, modulo I<m>, is equal to 1.  The

 order may not exist, if I<m> is composite.

 =head1 RESTRICTIONS

 This program is very slow, especially for large moduli.  It is

 intended as a way to help find primitive elements in a modular field,

 but it does not do so in a particularly inefficient manner.  It was

 written simply to help verify that a particular candidate does not

 have an obviously short cycle mod I<m>.

 =head1 SEE ALSO

 gcd(1), invmod(1), isprime(1)

 =head1 AUTHOR

  Michael J. Fromberger <sting@linguist.dartmouth.edu>

  Thayer School of Engineering, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA