Multimodular and p-adic linear algebra over the integers

Exact linear algebra over $\mathbb{Z}$ suffers from the growth of intermediate results: Gaussian elimination over $\mathbb{Q}$ creates fractions whose sizes grow quickly, and even fraction-free elimination (Fraction-free elimination) works with entries as large as the final result in each of its $O(n^3)$ operations. Modular methods avoid this. They solve the problem modulo word-size primes, where nmod_mat runs at the speed of floating-point arithmetic (Multiplying matrices over Z/nZ), and recover the integer or rational result from its residues. FLINT does this for determinants, linear systems, ranks and echelon forms, characteristic polynomials and products, and makes every answer rigorous.

The methods are specific to $\mathbb{Z}$ and $\mathbb{Q}$. There is no generic multimodular framework in gr_mat; instead, the generic functions dispatch to these ones for the ring of integers: gr_mat_mul, gr_mat_det, gr_mat_charpoly and gr_mat_permanent call the corresponding fmpz_mat functions.

Throughout, $A$ is an $n \times n$ (or $m \times n$) integer matrix with entries bounded by $2^b$ in absolute value, $\lVert \cdot \rVert$ is the maximum norm of a matrix, $\lVert \cdot \rVert_2$ the Euclidean norm of a row or column, and $\beta$ is the word size.

Bounds#

With entries below $2^b$, this gives $|\det A| \le n^{n/2} 2^{nb}$, a number of about $n(b + \frac12 \log_2 n)$ bits. fmpz_mat_det_bound evaluates the bound with upward-rounded mag_t arithmetic. fmpz_mat_det_bound_submatrix omits zero rows and columns from the products, which bounds every minor of a (possibly rectangular) matrix: the rows of a $k \times k$ submatrix are no longer than the corresponding rows of $A$, and the same holds for columns.

fmpz_mat_solve_bound returns $N$ and the bound $D$ of Theorem 1 for $|\det A|$. The row product cannot replace the column product in $N$: it bounds $\det A$ but not the cofactors along a column.

Chinese remaindering#

If $x \in \mathbb{Z}$ satisfies $|x| \le H$ and $p_1, \ldots, p_k$ are pairwise coprime with $M = p_1 \cdots p_k > 2H$, then $x$ is the unique integer in $(-M/2, M/2]$ congruent to its residues. For matrices, fmpz_mat_multi_mod_ui reduces all entries modulo $k$ primes and fmpz_mat_multi_CRT_ui reconstructs them, both through the subproduct tree of fmpz_comb_t: reducing a $kc$-bit integer modulo $k$ primes of $c$ bits by a tree of remainders costs $O(M(kc) \log k)$ word operations instead of the $O(k^2)$ of reducing modulo each prime separately, and the same holds for reconstruction [GG2003, §10.3]. Both functions distribute the entries over threads. FLINT uses primes of 59 to 63 bits, the size for which nmod_mat has its fastest kernels (NMOD_MAT_OPTIMAL_MODULUS_BITS = 59).

The rank of $A$ modulo $p$ is at most its rank $r$ over $\mathbb{Q}$, with equality unless $p$ divides all $r \times r$ minors of $A$, in particular some fixed nonzero minor $\Delta$. Since $|\Delta|$ is at most the bound $H$ of fmpz_mat_det_bound_submatrix, the product of the distinct bad primes is at most $H$, so a set of distinct primes whose product exceeds $H$ contains a good prime. FLINT uses this both ways: random large primes are good with overwhelming probability, and when all primes of such a set show a rank drop, the rank drop is real.

Determinants#

This is fmpz_mat_det_modular_given_divisor; fmpz_mat_det_modular uses $d = 1$. Since $|\det(A)/d| \le H/2 < M/2$ at the end, the result is correct. The number of primes is about $\log_2(H)/59 \approx n(b + \frac12 \log_2 n)/59$, and each costs a reduction of $A$ and an LU decomposition modulo $p$, so the total is $O(n^{\omega + 1}(b + \log n)/\beta)$ word operations, against $O(n^5 b^2)$ with classical integer arithmetic for fraction-free elimination.

Early termination#

With proved = 0, the loop stops as soon as the reconstructed value has not changed while primes with more than 100 bits in total were added. If $\det(A)/d$ is much smaller than the Hadamard bound, which is typical for structured input, this saves most of the primes. A value that stays the same while $k$ further primes are added is wrong only if all $k$ primes divide the difference between the true and the reconstructed value. For random primes this is very unlikely [Kal2002], but it is not a proof, and fmpz_mat_det does not use it.

A large divisor#

The number of primes depends on $\det(A)/d$, so a large known divisor $d$ saves work.

fmpz_mat_det_divisor solves $Ax = v$ for $v = (-1, 1, -1, \ldots)^T$ by $p$-adic lifting (p-adic lifting) and returns the least common multiple $d$ of the denominators of $x$, a divisor of $s_n$. For random matrices, $s_n$ is $\det(A)$ up to a small factor and $d = s_n$ with high probability [AbbottBronsteinMulders1999; Pan1988; EGV2000], so that $\det(A)/d$ needs only one or two primes and the $p$-adic solve, which costs about as much as $O(n)$ primes, dominates. fmpz_mat_det_modular_accelerated uses this, and fmpz_mat_det calls it for $n \ge 60$ when $n$ is at least the bit size of the entries. For matrices whose determinant is spread over many invariant factors, $d$ is small and nothing is gained. Asymptotically faster determinant algorithms exist [EGV2000; KV2004; Sto2005] but are not implemented.

Rank and singularity#

Full rank modulo a prime proves full rank over $\mathbb{Q}$. A rank deficiency modulo $p$ is either real or caused by a bad prime, and is certified as follows.

_fmpz_mat_certify_singular_lu_mod_p computes $z$ exactly (by Cramer's rule, fraction-free elimination or $p$-adic solving with the same prime) and checks the $m - r$ other rows. fmpz_mat_is_singular (with primes of 17 bits), the determinant and the nonsingular solvers use it. If the certificate fails, another prime is tried, and once the product of the primes with a rank drop exceeds the Hadamard bound, $A$ is singular by the argument of Chinese remaindering.

For the rank itself and the reduced row echelon form, the analogous certificate checks that all non-pivot rows lie in the span of the pivot rows.

fmpz_mat_rref_mul and fmpz_mat_rank_certify_lu_mod_p implement this with primes of 17 bits, following [Stein2007]; $E$ is computed with fmpz_mat_solve, so that $E$ is obtained as an integer matrix and a denominator.

Solving linear systems#

p-adic lifting#

The rational solution $X^* = A^{-1} B$ has entries $u/\det(A)$ with $|u| \le N$ by Lemma 2, so after $s$ steps with $p^s > 2ND$ it is determined by rational reconstruction (Rational reconstruction). Each step costs a product with $C$ (or two triangular solves) modulo $p$ and a product of $A$ with an $n \times k$ matrix of word-size entries, about $n^2 k \lceil b/\beta \rceil$ word operations. With $s \approx n(b + \log n)/\log_2 p$ steps, the total for $k = 1$ is $O(n^3 (b + \log n)^2/\beta^2)$ word operations plus one LU decomposition modulo $p$ [Dix1982; MC1979]. For one right-hand side this beats the $O(n^{\omega + 1} b/\beta)$ of the multimodular method. Storjohann's high-order lifting reaches $O^\sim(n^\omega b)$ bit operations [Sto2003; Sto2005] but is not implemented.

fmpz_mat_solve_dixon is the plain algorithm: it lifts to the worst-case bound $2\max(N, D)^2$ and returns $X$ modulo $p^s$ without reconstruction. fmpz_mat_solve_dixon_den refines it:

• It starts with a prime near $2^{30}$, for which the LU decomposition and the triangular solves are about twice as fast as with a 59-bit prime, at the same cost per lifted bit.
• The products $AY$ are computed with fmpz_mat_mul, with the classical algorithm (one multiplication of a multiword integer by a word per entry), or multimodularly from precomputed residues of $A$, depending on $n$, $k$ and $b$.
• When the solution turns out to be long, the digit is increased from $p$ to $q = p^e$: the inverse $C = A^{-1} \bmod q$ is obtained by Newton iteration, $C \gets C(2I - AC)$ modulo increasing powers of $p$, and the products $CR$ and $AY$ are computed multimodularly with tables of residues of $C$ and $A$. The digit size is doubled while the lifting still to be done is estimated to cost at least twice as much as the change, which bounds the overhead by a factor 1.5 whatever the size of the solution.
• The digits are accumulated in a binary counter of partial sums, so that forming $X$ modulo $p^i$ costs $O(M(i \log p) \log i)$ per entry rather than $O(i^2)$.
• Termination is output-sensitive (Output-sensitive termination).

Chinese remaindering#

fmpz_mat_solve_multi_mod_den solves $AX = B$ modulo primes $p > 2^{59}$ with nmod_mat_solve, in batches processed in parallel, and combines the residues of $X^* = A^{-1} B$ modulo the product $M$ of the primes. The residues are combined only when a reconstruction is attempted, so the total cost of the Chinese remaindering is that of a few full reconstructions. Each prime costs $O(n^\omega + n^2 k)$ word operations and a reduction of $A$ and $B$, so the total is $O(n^{\omega + 1} (b + \log n)/\beta)$ for $k \le n$. When $k \ge n/2$ this beats $p$-adic lifting, whose steps cost $O(n^2 k b/\beta)$ each, and fmpz_mat_solve uses it then.

Rational reconstruction#

Reconstructing every entry separately would need $m > 2ND$ for each. FLINT reconstructs a whole matrix with a running common denominator (_fmpz_mat_reconstruct_matwise): each entry $x$ is first multiplied by the denominator $d$ found so far, and if $dx \bmod m$ in the symmetric range is at most $N$, it is accepted as the numerator; otherwise the entry is reconstructed with denominator bound $D/d$, and the new factor of the denominator is multiplied into $d$ and into the entries done so far. Most entries then cost one multiplication and one reduction [CheSto2005].

Output-sensitive termination#

The bounds $N$ and $D$ are often far larger than the actual solution. The solvers therefore stop as soon as the solution is determined, using a certificate that needs no a priori bound.

This criterion goes back to Cabay [Cab1971] and is used in [CheSto2005; Stef2010]. To apply it, the solvers must find a candidate $(Z, d)$ early, without knowing the size of the solution:

1. Probe. A random combination $s = \sum_{i,j} u_{ij} x_{ij} \bmod m$ of the entries of the current solution modulo $m$, with weights $u_{ij} \in [1, 16]$, is maintained incrementally at negligible cost. It is the residue of the rational number $s^* = \sum u_{ij} X^*_{ij}$, whose denominator is the common denominator of the solution with high probability, and whose numerator has about the size of the largest numerator.
2. Probe reconstruction (_fmpz_mat_solve_probe_reconstruct). First $s$ and $s d'$, for the denominator $d'$ found by the previous probe, are tested for being small in the symmetric range, with a margin of 30 bits. Otherwise the continued fraction expansion of $s/m$ is computed. The true value $u/v$ is the convergent preceding a large partial quotient as soon as $m > 2^{30} |u| v$, whatever the balance between $u$ and $v$, which halves the precision that a fixed split $N = D = \sqrt{m/2}$ would need [Mon2004]. A partial quotient of at least 30 bits is required, so a spurious result has probability about $2^{-30}$.
3. Attempt. When the probe has succeeded, and either the certificate can hold at the current modulus or an explicit check $AZ = dB$ is estimated to cost less than the lifting steps still missing, the whole solution is reconstructed with a denominator bound $2^{16}$ times the probe denominator (the margin doubles after failures) and checked with Theorem 9 or by multiplication. During the first eight steps attempts are made without a probe, since they are cheap and the probe is not yet informative.
4. Fallback. When $m > 2ND$, reconstruction with the global bounds is unique and cannot fail.

A spurious probe costs time but never produces a wrong result, since every accepted solution satisfies Theorem 9 or has been verified by a multiplication. Finally the gcd of the denominator and the entries is divided out, so that the denominator is the least common denominator.

Consistency of general systems#

For an $m \times n$ matrix $A$ of rank $r$, the system $AX = B$ is solved on the pivot rows and columns found modulo a prime, and the remaining $m - r$ equations are checked exactly. If they hold, the solution is correct. If one fails, either the system is inconsistent or the prime is bad.

Conversely, by the Fredholm alternative such a $y$ exists whenever the system is inconsistent. fmpz_mat_can_solve_multi_mod_den constructs a candidate from a failing equation $i_0$: $y$ has a denominator in position $i_0$ and minus the solution of the transposed pivot system in the pivot rows, so that $y^T A$ vanishes on the pivot columns by construction, and $y^T A = 0$ is then checked exactly on the other columns [GieLobSau1998; MulSto2004]. If the check fails, the prime was bad and another one is tried; exact work is redone only when the rank increases. Once the product of the primes exceeds the bound on all minors of $A$, some prime was good (Chinese remaindering) and its verdict, "inconsistent", is final.

Characteristic and minimal polynomials#

fmpz_mat_charpoly_modular uses a fixed number of primes determined by the coefficient bound of fmpz_mat_charpoly_bound, computes the characteristic polynomials modulo the primes in parallel (Characteristic and minimal polynomials), and reconstructs them. There are no bad primes, since the characteristic polynomial commutes with reduction.

The minimal polynomial does not: modulo a bad prime its degree drops. fmpz_mat_minpoly_modular keeps the primes of largest degree and, when the reconstruction stabilises, checks the candidate $f$ exactly: $f(A) e_i = 0$ for the unit vectors $e_i$ used as Krylov generators modulo the primes. Their Krylov spaces span $\mathbb{F}_p^n$, hence $\mathbb{Q}^n$, so $f(A) = 0$ and $\mu_A \mid f$; and $\deg f \le \deg \mu_A$ because the minimal polynomial modulo $p$ divides the reduction of $\mu_A$. Hence $f = \mu_A$. The number of primes is capped by a bound of Dumas [Dum2007] on the coefficients of $\mu_A$.

Matrix multiplication#

The product $C = AB$ of integer matrices is determined by its residues modulo numbers whose product exceeds $2\lVert C \rVert$, and there are no bad primes. fmpz_mat_mul_multi_mod and fmpz_mat_mul_blas use this; see Multiplying matrices over the integers.

Use in FLINT#

@misc{flint-doc-algorithms-linear-algebra-multimodular,
  author       = {{The FLINT team}},
  title        = {{Multimodular and p-adic linear algebra over the integers}},
  howpublished = {FLINT: Fast Library for Number Theory, documentation, version 3.7.0-dev},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://flintlib.org/doc/algorithms/linear-algebra/multimodular.html},
  note         = {Generated 2026-11-02}
}