FAAST is an open-source C++ library providing strongly object-oriented data structures and high-performance algorithms for elements and polynomials in Artin-Schreier towers over finite fields.
Recall that given a field K of characteristic p, an Artin-Schreier polynomial is a polynomial of the form
![\[ X^p - X - a \]](form_14.png)
where 
is an element of K. When such a polynomial is irreducible, its splitting field is called an Artin-Schreier extension of K. Extension towers of this form are called Artin-Schreier towers and are the main object of this library. More details about Artin-Schreier towers can be found in [DFS '09]; that paper is also the source for the majority of the algorithms of FAAST.
FAAST uses Victor Shoup's NTL to represent finite field elements and polynomials and is conceived as a module on top of it. You don't need to know NTL in detail in order to use FAAST, but some familiarity with it is necessary. You can download NTL and read its documentation at http://www.shoup.net/ntl/.
FAAST benefits from NTL being used in conjunction with the libraries GMP and gf2x. See Install for more details.
FAAST is written and maintained by Luca De Feo with contributions by Éric Schost. It is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License, see FAAST Copying Conditions for more details.
