# CLMUL instruction set

Carry-less Multiplication (CLMUL) is an extension to the x86 instruction set used by microprocessors from Intel and AMD which was proposed by Intel in March 2008[1] and made available in the Intel Westmere processors announced in early 2010. Mathematically, the instruction implements multiplication of polynomials over the finite field GF(2) where the bitstring ${\displaystyle a_{0}a_{1}\ldots a_{63}}$ represents the polynomial ${\displaystyle a_{0}+a_{1}X+a_{2}X^{2}+\cdots +a_{63}X^{63}}$. The CLMUL instruction also allows a more efficient implementation of the closely related multiplication of larger finite fields GF(2k) than the traditional instruction set[2].

One use of these instructions is to improve the speed of applications doing block cipher encryption in Galois/Counter Mode, which depends on finite field GF(2k) multiplication. Another application is the fast calculation of CRC values,[3] including those used to implement the LZ77 sliding window DEFLATE algorithm in zlib and pngcrush.[4]

## New instructions

The instruction computes the 128-bit carry-less product of two 64-bit values. The destination is a 128-bit XMM register. The source may be another XMM register or memory. An immediate operand specifies which halves of the 128-bit operands are multiplied. Mnemonics specifying specific values of the immediate operand are also defined:

Instruction Opcode Description
`PCLMULQDQ xmmreg,xmmrm,imm` `[rmi: 66 0f 3a 44 /r ib]` Perform a carry-less multiplication of two 64-bit polynomials over the finite field GF(2k).
`PCLMULLQLQDQ xmmreg,xmmrm` `[rm:  66 0f 3a 44 /r 00]` Multiply the low halves of the two registers.
`PCLMULHQLQDQ xmmreg,xmmrm` `[rm:  66 0f 3a 44 /r 01]` Multiply the high half of the destination register by the low half of the source register.
`PCLMULLQHQDQ xmmreg,xmmrm` `[rm:  66 0f 3a 44 /r 10]` Multiply the low half of the destination register by the high half of the source register.
`PCLMULHQHQDQ xmmreg,xmmrm` `[rm:  66 0f 3a 44 /r 11]` Multiply the high halves of the two registers.

## CPUs with CLMUL instruction set

The presence of the CLMUL instruction set can be checked by testing one of the CPU feature bits.