The prime-factor algorithm (PFA), also called the Good–Thomas algorithm (1958/1963), is a fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm that re-expresses the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of a size N = N1N2 as a two-dimensional N1×N2 DFT, but only for the case where N1 and N2 are relatively prime.
These smaller transforms of size N1 and N2 can then be evaluated by applying PFA recursively or by using some other FFT algorithm.
PFA should not be confused with the mixed-radix generalization of the popular Cooley–Tukey algorithm, which also subdivides a DFT of size N = N1N2 into smaller transforms of size N1 and N2.
The latter algorithm can use any factors (not necessarily relatively prime), but it has the disadvantage that it also requires extra multiplications by roots of unity called twiddle factors, in addition to the smaller transforms.
On the other hand, PFA has the disadvantages that it only works for relatively prime factors (e.g. it is useless for power-of-two sizes) and that it requires more complicated re-indexing of the data based on the additive group isomorphisms.
Note, however, that PFA can be combined with mixed-radix Cooley–Tukey, with the former factorizing N into relatively prime components and the latter handling repeated factors.
PFA is also closely related to the nested Winograd FFT algorithm, where the latter performs the decomposed N1 by N2 transform via more sophisticated two-dimensional convolution techniques.
Some older papers therefore also call Winograd's algorithm a PFA FFT.
(Although the PFA is distinct from the Cooley–Tukey algorithm, Good's 1958 work on the PFA was cited as inspiration by Cooley and Tukey in their 1965 paper, and there was initially some confusion about whether the two algorithms were different.
In fact, it was the only prior FFT work cited by them, as they were not then aware of the earlier research by Gauss and others.)
We define the DFT of
For simplicity, we denote the transformation as
The PFA relies on a coprime factorization of
, we have the Chinese remainder map
's are the central orthogonal idempotent elements with
Therefore, we have the multi-dimensional DFT,
PFA can be stated in a high-level way in terms of algebra isomorphisms.
We first recall that for a commutative ring
refers to the tensor product of algebras.
To see how PFA works, we choose
is actually an algebra isomorphism from
are re-indexing without actual arithmetic in
Notice that the condition for transforming
relies on "an" additive group isomorphism
Any additive group isomorphism will work.
To count the number of ways transforming
, we only need to count the number of additive group isomorphisms from
, or alternative, the number of additive group automorphisms on
is cyclic, any automorphism can be written as
is the Euler's totient function.