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This paper investigates performance and energy characteristics of software algorithms for long integer arithmetic. We analyze and compare the number of RISC-like processor instructions (e.g. single-precision multiplication, addition, load, and store instructions) required for the execution of different algorithms such as Schoolbook multiplication, Karatsuba and Comba multiplication, as well as Montgomery reduction. Our analysis shows that a combination of Karatsuba-Comba multiplication and Montgomery reduction (the so-called KCM method) allows to achieve better performance than other algorithms for modular multiplication. Furthermore, we present a simple model to compare the energy-efficiency of arithmetic algorithms. This model considers the clock cycles and average current consumption of the base instructions to estimate the overall amount of energy consumed during the execution of an …