Sieve of Atkin - Explanation

Explanation

The algorithm completely ignores any numbers divisible by two, three, or five. All numbers with an even modulo-sixty remainder are divisible by two and not prime. All numbers with modulo-sixty remainder divisible by three are also divisible by three and not prime. All numbers with modulo-sixty remainder divisible by five are divisible by five and not prime. All these remainders are ignored.

All numbers with modulo-sixty remainder 1, 13, 17, 29, 37, 41, 49, or 53 have a modulo-four remainder of 1. These numbers are prime if and only if the number of solutions to 4x2 + y2 = n is odd and the number is squarefree (proven as theorem 6.1 of).

All numbers with modulo-sixty remainder 7, 19, 31, or 43 have a modulo-six remainder of 1. These numbers are prime if and only if the number of solutions to 3x2 + y2 = n is odd and the number is squarefree (proven as theorem 6.2 of).

All numbers with modulo-sixty remainder 11, 23, 47, or 59 have a modulo-twelve remainder of 11. These numbers are prime if and only if the number of solutions to 3x2 − y2 = n is odd and the number is squarefree (proven as theorem 6.3 of).

None of the potential primes are divisible by 2, 3, or 5, so they can't be divisible by their squares. This is why squarefree checks don't include 22, 32, and 52.

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