# Curve Choices

We define two specific sets of curve parameters for double-odd curves that leverage the formulas for good performance: do255e and do255s. These curves, when using their Jacobi quartic representation and associated improved encoding formats, are called jq255e and jq255s, respectively. The do255e / jq255e curve is a GLV curve (with equation $$y^2 = x(x^2 + b)$$) which permits use of our doubling formulas with the lowest per-doubling cost (1M+5S). GLV curves feature some extra structure, namely a fast endomorphism on the curve that can be leveraged to substantially speed up point multiplication. Since this extra structure has historically generated unease about security (no weakness was found, but these curves are still admittedly "special" in a fuzzy way), we also define do255s / jq255s, an ordinary curve with no such structure. do255s uses the equation $$y^2 = x(x^2 - x + 1/2)$$, for which we have doubling formulas in cost 2M+4S.

In both cases, the base field is chosen to be the field of integers modulo $$q = 2^{255} - m$$ for a small integer $$m$$; the value of $$m$$ is the main selection parameter. Fastest known implementations on both 64-bit x86 CPUs and ARM Cortex M0+ CPUs use register-sized limbs and will provide the same performance for all values of $$m$$, as long as $$m < 2^{15}$$. Moreover, there are some slight benefits, when doing modular reduction, to a 255-bit modulus (as opposed to a 256-bit modulus), because that allows an efficient partial reduction. Since the curve order is close to $$q$$ and that order is $$2r$$, where $$r$$ is the order of the final group, we will obtain a group of size about $$2^{254}$$, which is sufficient to claim "128-bit security" (in the same way that Curve25519 / Edwards25519 also claims the 128-bit security level with a subgroup prime order of about $$2^{252}$$).

We thus choose the target values of $$a$$ and $$b$$ such that all constants in applicable formulas lead to fast operations, then explore increasing values of $$m$$ until a match is found, i.e. $$q = 2^{255} - m$$ is prime and the curve equation leads to order $$2r$$ with $$r$$ prime.

Once the field is chosen, it only remains to define a conventional generator $$G$$ for the group. Which point we use is not important for security (discrete logarithm relatively to one generator is equivalent to discrete logarithm relatively to any other generator). To make the selection deterministic, we use the point in the group $$\mathbb{G}$$ with the lowest non-zero $$u$$ coordinate, interpreted as an integer in the $$0...q-1$$ range.

Specific parameters are provided in the following sub-pages: