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I recently saw that binary Golay code can be constructed from an irreducible factor of $x^{23}-1$ over $\mathbb{F}_2$; see wiki-constructions.

Since $x^{23}-1$ over $\mathbb{F}_2$ has three factors: one is $x-1$ and other two are of same degree ($11$). Is there any trick to obtain the factorization of $z^{23}-1$ over $\mathbb{F}_2$?

Here of course in general it is difficult to obtain factorization of a general polynomial over a general field; but since this polynomial has been used in some important code, and also it has less number of factors, I was wondering if anybody had invented any trick to find the factorization.

I am not considering the verification that the factors of $x^{23}-1$ given in wiki actually give product equal to $z^{23}-1$; rather, I am concerning, how can we get it? by some trick?

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    See [here](https://books.google.co.in/books?id=_49AmSWo4_AC&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=factorization+of+x%5E(23)-1+over+F_2&source=bl&ots=sn0X6sUTPZ&sig=Fw7fKPuXIRXJOhu3wFlZfmhdr9A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO57CQ3bLRAhUeT48KHYmdCPMQ6AEIMjAD#v=onepage&q=factorization%20of%20x%5E(23)-1%20over%20F_2&f=false).2017-01-08
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    @Rohan: very useful resource! thanks for it.2017-01-08
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    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factorization_of_polynomials_over_finite_fields2017-01-09

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Since this is about algebra of cyclic codes you may be familiar with a piece of theory that can be used here. Namely, the theory of idempotents of the ring $R=\Bbb{F}_2[x]/\langle x^{23}-1\rangle$. An idempotent is a polynomial (or the coset thereof) $e(x)$ such that $e(x)^2\equiv e(x)\pmod{x^{23}-1}$. Each cyclic code $C$ of the prescribed length (here $23$) has its own idempotent $e_C(x)$ with the properties that 1) $e_C(x)\in C$, 2) $e_C(x)p(x)\equiv p(x)$ for every codeword $p(x)$, 3) we get all the words of $C$ as $e_C(x)f(x)\in R$ with $f(x)$ ranging over all polynomials in $\Bbb{F}_2[x]$.

Item 3 means that $e_C(x)$ is a generator of $C$. It is not quite a generator polynomial (in the usual sense) though, because a generator polynomial $g(x)$ has the further property $g(x)\mid x^{23}-1$. The algebra of cyclic codes (check out e.g. van Lint) plays out so that we get a generator for $C$ by calculating $\gcd(e_C(x),x^{23}-1)$.

All this leads up to my main point. If we can find non-trivial idempotents in $R$, then we can find non-trivial factors of $x^{23}-1$. So let us try and figure out when a sum of monomials $$ e(x)=x^{\ell_1}+x^{\ell_2}+\cdots+x^{\ell_k} \qquad(*) $$ for some exponents $0\le\ell_1<\ell_2<\cdots<\ell_k<23$ might be an idempotent of $R$. We see (freshman's dream in characteristic two) that $$ e(x)^2=x^{2\ell_1}+x^{2\ell_2}+\cdots+x^{2\ell_k}. $$ We need to take advantage of the fact that modulo the ideal $x^{23}-1$ the powers $x^\ell$ and $x^m$ are congruent iff $\ell\equiv m\pmod{23}$. In other words, we can reduce the doubled exponents $2\ell_i$ modulo $23$.

Conclusion: the sum $(*)$ gives an idempotent of $R$ iff the set of exponents $S=\{\ell_1,\ldots,\ell_k\}$ is stable under doubling modulo $23$.

Example. Let's find a minimal such set $S$ containing $\ell_1=1$. Such a set must containt $2\cdot1=2$, $2\cdot2=4$, $8,16$, $2\cdot16=32\equiv9$, $2\cdot9=18$, $2\cdot18=36\equiv13$, $2\cdot 13=26\equiv3$, $2\cdot3=6$, $2\cdot 6=12$. Here the circle closes, because $2\cdot12=24\equiv1$ was already included. Therefore $$ e(x)=x+x^2+x^4+x^8+x^{16}+x^9+x^{18}+x^{13}+x^3+x^6+x^{12} $$ is an idempotent of the ring $R$.

We can then, finally, find a non-trivial factor of $x^{23}-1$ by calculating $\gcd(e(x),x^{23}-1)$. Naughtily leaving that to you (a run of Euclid).

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    You can find the idempotents and generator polynomials of all cyclic codes of an odd length in this way. You may need to use sums of idempotents generated by the method of the example, starting from an exponent other than $1$ (it's all in van Lint).2017-01-11