Linear Sieve Factorization -- PUBLIC DOCUMENT/FOLDER The linear sieve is an ancient mathematical algorithm invented in ancient Greece that generates prime numbers by starting out with the number two and checking off numbers divisible by the prime numbers that are greater than or equal to two. I have used an implementation of the linear sieve to generate an algorithm that can (theoretically) handle arbitrarily large numbers. (you would need a googol byte hard drive to factor a 320 bit number with this software.) FAQs: Q: I tried to factor a 10 digit number, but it won't work. Why? A: This linear sieve loookup algorithm is not appropriate for numbers over ~5 decimal digits (~18 bits). Use pollard-rho for it instead.