Pollard's rho algorithm

Pollard's rho algorithm is a method for finding factors of a large composite number efficiently. It uses a pseudo-random sequence generated by a specific function to explore potential factors. The idea is to detect when two different points in the sequence converge, indicating a common factor. This convergence, or "collision," helps identify a divisor of the original number. The algorithm is particularly effective for numbers with small factors and is widely used in computational number theory and cryptography to test the primality or factorize large numbers quickly.