Single-factor lifting and factorization of polynomials over local fields

Let f(x) be a separable polynomial over a local field. The Montes algorithm computes certain approximations to the different irreducible factors of f(x), with strong arithmetic properties. In this paper, we develop an algorithm to improve any one of these approximations, till a prescribed precision is attained. The most natural application of this “single-factor lifting” routine is to combine it with the Montes algorithm to provide a fast polynomial factorization algorithm. Moreover, the single-factor lifting algorithm may be applied as well to accelerate the computational resolution of several global arithmetic problems in which the improvement of an approximation to a single local irreducible factor of a polynomial is required.