Topic summary

Smooth number

Smooth number

In number theory, an n-smooth (or n-friable) number is an integer whose prime factors are all less than or equal to n. For example, a 7-smooth number is a number in which every prime factor is at most 7. Therefore, 49 = 7 and 15750 = 2 × 3 × 5 × 7 are both 7-smooth, while 11 and 702 = 2 × 3 × 13 are not 7-smooth. The term seems to have been coined by Leonard Adleman. Smooth numbers are especially important in cryptography, which relies on factorization of integers. 2-smooth numbers are simply the powers of 2, while 5-smooth numbers are also known as regular numbers.