The Schwartz-Zippel Lemma

Sunpill Kim, Yong Kiam Tan

Abstract: This short entry formalizes a version of the Schwartz-Zippel lemma for probabilistic (multivariate) polynomial identity testing. The entry includes a textbook example using the lemma to test for perfect matchings in a bipartite graph. The lemma is attributed to several independent authors, including Schwartz, Zippel, and DeMillo and Lipton; a historical perspective is given by Lipton.