Commit 8709f53d440ed8479f711d871a2d6c2c35dc1014 | zig

author	Frank Denis <124872+jedisct1@users.noreply.github.com> 2026-01-25 17:42:01+01:00
committer	Frank Denis <124872+jedisct1@users.noreply.github.com> 2026-01-25 17:42:01+01:00
log	8709f53d440ed8479f711d871a2d6c2c35dc1014
tree	e08bf46306b640e8e73def890dbb40081568e0b8
parent	99ec1ee3536b577bd1d14facde523c503108886d

crypto.ff: allow seamless chaining regardless of representation (#30913)

Finite field elements can be in regular or Montgomery form, and
chaining different operations use to require manual and error-prone
conversions.

Now:

- `add`, `sub` and `mul` convert the second operand to match the
first operand's form
- `sq` and `pow` preserve the input's Montgomery form
- `toPrimitive` and `toBytes` return `UnexpectedRepresentation` if
the element is in Montgomery form, preventing incorrect serialization

This is fully backwards compatible and allows seamless chaining of
operations regardless of their representation.

1 files changed, 134 insertions(+), 32 deletions(-)

lib
- std
  - crypto
    ff.zig

lib/std/crypto/ff.zig+134-32

 @@ -329,7 +329,11 @@ fn Fe_(comptime bits: comptime_int) type {
         /// Converts the field element to a primitive.
         /// This function may not run in constant time.
-        pub fn toPrimitive(self: Self, comptime T: type) OverflowError!T {
+        /// Returns an error if the element is in Montgomery form.
+        pub fn toPrimitive(self: Self, comptime T: type) (OverflowError || RepresentationError)!T {
+            if (self.montgomery) {
+                return error.UnexpectedRepresentation;
+            }
             return self.v.toPrimitive(T);
         }
 @@ -343,7 +347,11 @@ fn Fe_(comptime bits: comptime_int) type {
         }
         /// Converts the field element to a byte string.
-        pub fn toBytes(self: Self, bytes: []u8, comptime endian: Endian) OverflowError!void {
+        /// Returns an error if the element is in Montgomery form.
+        pub fn toBytes(self: Self, bytes: []u8, comptime endian: Endian) (OverflowError || RepresentationError)!void {
+            if (self.montgomery) {
+                return error.UnexpectedRepresentation;
+            }
             return self.v.toBytes(bytes, endian);
         }
 @@ -530,19 +538,46 @@ pub fn Modulus(comptime max_bits: comptime_int) type {
         /// Adds two field elements (mod m).
         pub fn add(self: Self, x: Fe, y: Fe) Fe {
             var out = x;
-            const overflow = out.v.addWithOverflow(y.v);
+            if (x.montgomery == y.montgomery) {
-            const underflow: u1 = @bitCast(ct.limbsCmpLt(out.v, self.v));
+                @branchHint(.likely);
-            const need_sub = ct.eql(overflow, underflow);
+                const overflow = out.v.addWithOverflow(y.v);
-            _ = out.v.conditionalSubWithOverflow(need_sub, self.v);
+                const underflow: u1 = @bitCast(ct.limbsCmpLt(out.v, self.v));
-            return out;
+                const need_sub = ct.eql(overflow, underflow);
+                _ = out.v.conditionalSubWithOverflow(need_sub, self.v);
+                return out;
+            } else {
+                var y_ = y;
+                if (y.montgomery) {
+                    self.fromMontgomery(&y_) catch unreachable;
+                } else {
+                    self.toMontgomery(&y_) catch unreachable;
+                }
+                const overflow = out.v.addWithOverflow(y_.v);
+                const underflow: u1 = @bitCast(ct.limbsCmpLt(out.v, self.v));
+                const need_sub = ct.eql(overflow, underflow);
+                _ = out.v.conditionalSubWithOverflow(need_sub, self.v);
+                return out;
+            }
         }
         /// Subtracts two field elements (mod m).
         pub fn sub(self: Self, x: Fe, y: Fe) Fe {
             var out = x;
-            const underflow: bool = @bitCast(out.v.subWithOverflow(y.v));
+            if (x.montgomery == y.montgomery) {
-            _ = out.v.conditionalAddWithOverflow(underflow, self.v);
+                const underflow: bool = @bitCast(out.v.subWithOverflow(y.v));
-            return out;
+                _ = out.v.conditionalAddWithOverflow(underflow, self.v);
+                return out;
+            } else {
+                var y_ = y;
+                if (y.montgomery) {
+                    self.fromMontgomery(&y_) catch unreachable;
+                } else {
+                    self.toMontgomery(&y_) catch unreachable;
+                }
+                const underflow: bool = @bitCast(out.v.subWithOverflow(y_.v));
+                _ = out.v.conditionalAddWithOverflow(underflow, self.v);
+                return out;
+            }
         }
         /// Converts a field element to the Montgomery form.
 @@ -663,13 +698,15 @@ pub fn Modulus(comptime max_bits: comptime_int) type {
             for (e) |b| acc |= b;
             if (acc == 0) return error.NullExponent;
+            const was_montgomery = x.montgomery;
             var out = self.one();
             self.toMontgomery(&out) catch unreachable;
             if (public and e.len < 3 or (e.len == 3 and e[if (endian == .big) 0 else 2] <= 0b1111)) {
                 // Do not use a precomputation table for short, public exponents
                 var x_m = x;
-                if (x.montgomery == false) {
+                if (!x.montgomery) {
                     self.toMontgomery(&x_m) catch unreachable;
                 }
                 var s = switch (endian) {
 @@ -702,7 +739,7 @@ pub fn Modulus(comptime max_bits: comptime_int) type {
             } else {
                 // Use a precomputation table for large exponents
                 var pc = [1]Fe{x} ++ [_]Fe{self.zero} ** 14;
-                if (x.montgomery == false) {
+                if (!x.montgomery) {
                     self.toMontgomery(&pc[0]) catch unreachable;
                 }
                 for (1..pc.len) |i| {
 @@ -747,38 +784,55 @@ pub fn Modulus(comptime max_bits: comptime_int) type {
                     }
                 }
             }
-            self.fromMontgomery(&out) catch unreachable;
+            if (!was_montgomery) {
+                self.fromMontgomery(&out) catch unreachable;
+            }
             return out;
         }
         /// Multiplies two field elements.
+        /// Result preserves the first operand's form.
         pub fn mul(self: Self, x: Fe, y: Fe) Fe {
-            if (x.montgomery != y.montgomery) {
+            if (x.montgomery) {
-                return self.montgomeryMul(x, y);
+                const y_ = if (!y.montgomery) blk: {
-            }
+                    var yy = y;
-            var a_ = x;
+                    self.toMontgomery(&yy) catch unreachable;
-            if (x.montgomery == false) {
+                    break :blk yy;
-                self.toMontgomery(&a_) catch unreachable;
+                } else y;
+                return self.montgomeryMul(x, y_);
             } else {
-                self.fromMontgomery(&a_) catch unreachable;
+                var x_m = x;
+                var y_m = if (y.montgomery) blk: {
+                    var yy = y;
+                    self.fromMontgomery(&yy) catch unreachable;
+                    break :blk yy;
+                } else y;
+                self.toMontgomery(&x_m) catch unreachable;
+                self.toMontgomery(&y_m) catch unreachable;
+                var out = self.montgomeryMul(x_m, y_m);
+                self.fromMontgomery(&out) catch unreachable;
+                return out;
             }
-            return self.montgomeryMul(a_, y);
         }
         /// Squares a field element.
         pub fn sq(self: Self, x: Fe) Fe {
-            var out = x;
+            if (x.montgomery) {
-            if (x.montgomery == true) {
+                return self.montgomerySq(x);
+            } else {
+                var out = x;
+                self.toMontgomery(&out) catch unreachable;
+                out = self.montgomerySq(out);
                 self.fromMontgomery(&out) catch unreachable;
+                return out;
             }
-            out = self.montgomerySq(out);
-            out.montgomery = false;
-            self.toMontgomery(&out) catch unreachable;
-            return out;
         }
         /// Returns x^e (mod m) in constant time.
-        pub fn pow(self: Self, x: Fe, e: Fe) NullExponentError!Fe {
+        pub fn pow(self: Self, x: Fe, e: Fe) (NullExponentError || RepresentationError)!Fe {
+            if (e.montgomery) {
+                return error.UnexpectedRepresentation;
+            }
             var buf: [Fe.encoded_bytes]u8 = undefined;
             e.toBytes(&buf, native_endian) catch unreachable;
             return self.powWithEncodedExponent(x, &buf, native_endian);
 @@ -786,7 +840,10 @@ pub fn Modulus(comptime max_bits: comptime_int) type {
         /// Returns x^e (mod m), assuming that the exponent is public.
         /// The function remains constant time with respect to `x`.
-        pub fn powPublic(self: Self, x: Fe, e: Fe) NullExponentError!Fe {
+        pub fn powPublic(self: Self, x: Fe, e: Fe) (NullExponentError || RepresentationError)!Fe {
+            if (e.montgomery) {
+                return error.UnexpectedRepresentation;
+            }
             var e_normalized = Fe{ .v = e.v.normalize() };
             var buf_: [Fe.encoded_bytes]u8 = undefined;
             var buf = buf_[0 .. math.divCeil(usize, e_normalized.v.limbs_len * t_bits, 8) catch unreachable];
 @@ -927,6 +984,8 @@ test "finite field arithmetic" {
     try m.toMontgomery(&x);
     x_y = m.mul(x, y);
+    try testing.expect(x_y.montgomery); // result preserves first operand's form
+    try m.fromMontgomery(&x_y);
     try testing.expectEqual(x_y.toPrimitive(u256), 1666576607955767413750776202132407807424848069716933450241);
     try m.fromMontgomery(&x);
 @@ -941,8 +1000,11 @@ test "finite field arithmetic" {
     const x_pow_y = try m.powPublic(x, y);
     try testing.expectEqual(x_pow_y.toPrimitive(u256), 1631933139300737762906024873185789093007782131928298618473);
+    try testing.expect(!x_pow_y.montgomery);
     try m.toMontgomery(&x);
-    const x_pow_y2 = try m.powPublic(x, y);
+    var x_pow_y2 = try m.powPublic(x, y);
+    try testing.expect(x_pow_y2.montgomery);
+    try m.fromMontgomery(&x_pow_y2);
     try m.fromMontgomery(&x);
     try testing.expect(x_pow_y2.eql(x_pow_y));
     try testing.expectError(error.NullExponent, m.powPublic(x, m.zero));
 @@ -953,13 +1015,53 @@ test "finite field arithmetic" {
     const x_sq = m.sq(x);
     const x_sq2 = m.mul(x, x);
+    try testing.expect(!x_sq.montgomery);
+    try testing.expect(!x_sq2.montgomery);
     try testing.expect(x_sq.eql(x_sq2));
     try m.toMontgomery(&x);
-    const x_sq3 = m.sq(x);
+    var x_sq3 = m.sq(x);
-    const x_sq4 = m.mul(x, x);
+    var x_sq4 = m.mul(x, x);
+    try testing.expect(x_sq3.montgomery);
+    try testing.expect(x_sq4.montgomery);
+    try m.fromMontgomery(&x_sq3);
+    try m.fromMontgomery(&x_sq4);
     try testing.expect(x_sq.eql(x_sq3));
     try testing.expect(x_sq3.eql(x_sq4));
     try m.fromMontgomery(&x);
+    var x_mont = x;
+    try m.toMontgomery(&x_mont);
+    // Non-montgomery + montgomery
+    const add_nm_m = m.add(x, x_mont);
+    try testing.expect(!add_nm_m.montgomery);
+    var add_m_nm = m.add(x_mont, x);
+    try testing.expect(add_m_nm.montgomery);
+    try m.fromMontgomery(&add_m_nm);
+    try testing.expect(add_nm_m.eql(add_m_nm));
+    // Non-montgomery - montgomery
+    const sub_nm_m = m.sub(x, y);
+    try testing.expect(!sub_nm_m.montgomery);
+    var y_mont = y;
+    try m.toMontgomery(&y_mont);
+    var sub_m_nm = m.sub(x_mont, y);
+    try testing.expect(sub_m_nm.montgomery);
+    try m.fromMontgomery(&sub_m_nm);
+    try testing.expect(sub_nm_m.eql(sub_m_nm));
+    // mul: preserves first operand's form
+    const mul_nm_m = m.mul(x, x_mont);
+    try testing.expect(!mul_nm_m.montgomery);
+    const mul_nm_nm = m.mul(x, x);
+    try testing.expect(mul_nm_m.eql(mul_nm_nm));
+    var mul_m_nm = m.mul(x_mont, x);
+    try testing.expect(mul_m_nm.montgomery);
+    try m.fromMontgomery(&mul_m_nm);
+    try testing.expect(mul_m_nm.eql(mul_nm_nm));
+    try testing.expectEqual(x.toPrimitive(u256), 80169837251094269539116136208111827396136208141182357733);
+    try testing.expectError(error.UnexpectedRepresentation, x_mont.toPrimitive(u256));
 }
 fn testCt(ct_: anytype) !void {