Hi All, Just a few comments: there are three possible concepts for generator[s]:
1) As a field over its prime field or base field (function gen(), category Field or Algebra); 2) As a vector space over its base field (function additive_generators(), category Module) 3) As a group, restricted to the set of nonzero elements, which is the original source of confusion (function primitive_element() or group_generator(), category Group). It has been noted that 3) can be difficult to compute for large fields. Finite fields should be first and foremorst Fields, hence gen() should remain as it is, and functions like additive_generators() and primitive_element() or group_generator() could be added. The term primitive_element() is very standard terminology for a group_element() when talking specifically of finite fields, but unfortunately this can be confusing with a primitive element of an arbitrary finite algebraic extension field, where it is defined to be a generator of the field extension. --David --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To post to this group, send email to sage-devel@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sage-devel URLs: http://www.sagemath.org -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
