
                     Version history of the FactInt package
                     ======================================

Initial version: 1.0 (July 1999)

Changes between version 1.0 and version 1.1:

 - MPQS uses the fast special-purpose kernel routine ADD_TO_LIST_ENTRIES_PLIST_RANGE
   for the innermost loop of the sieving routine.
   The kernel routine was implemented in src/listoper.c by Steve Linton.

Changes between version 1.1 and version 1.2:

 - The manual is now also available in PDF and Postscript format.
 - The documentation has been cleaned up typographically.
 - Info messages for factorizations of small integers are now given only
   if InfoLevel(IntegerFactorizationInfo) = 3 to avoid the user to be swamped with
   messages for factorizations of numbers like 4 or so if he does not want to.
 - The declaration of `IntegerFactorizationInfo' is now in factint.gd, as it should.

Changes between version 1.2 and version 1.3:

 - The overhead for factoring very small numbers was reduced.
 - The synonym `InfoFactInt' for `IntegerFactorizationInfo' was added.
 - A restriction concerning the number of digits of some argument values
   in Info messages was removed (this concerns mainly the ECM).
 - The default of the number of curves to be tried by FactorsECM for large
   numbers before invoking the MPQS was increased.
 - Introduced Info levels 4 and 5 for more frequent status messages during
   the sieving process of the MPQS.

Changes between version 1.3 and version 1.3.1:

 - Adaptation to the new package loading and updating mechanism of GAP 4.4.
 
Changes between version 1.3.1 and version 1.4.6:

 - Improved the performance of the factoring routine for integers of the
   form b^k +/- 1.
 - Access to Richard P. Brent's tables of factors of integers of the
   form b^k +/- 1. (Only under UNIX.)

   The corresponding code has been contributed by Frank Lübeck.

 - Added treatment of the following special cases:

   - Two factors p, q such that p/q is close to a fraction with small
     numerator and denominator.
   - k! ± 1.
   - p1 * p2 * p3 * ... * pk +/- 1.
   - Fibonacci numbers.
   - 3^k - 2^k.
   - 11111 ... 11111
   - Factors already available as values of user variables in workspace.

 - Added option `cheap' for restricting factorization attempts
   to cheap methods.

Changes between version 1.4.6 and version 1.4.7:

 - Added caching of whole factorizations and single factors.
 - Use p +/- 1 - routines by default only for sufficiently large composites,
   and similar fine-tuning.
 - Further reduced the overhead for small / easy numbers.
 - Documented `FactorsTD'.


