diff --git a/src/bin/testmain.rs b/src/bin/testmain.rs
index feb8d84..86ce109 100644
--- a/src/bin/testmain.rs
+++ b/src/bin/testmain.rs
@@ -147,6 +147,20 @@ fn main() {
   let elapsed = now.elapsed();
   println!("Elapsed: {:.3?}", elapsed);
 
+  println!("");
+  println!("sanity checking comparison with the prime");
+  let one : Big = BigInt::from_u32(1);
+  let a: Big = BigInt::sub(&FIELD_PRIME, &one);
+  let b: Big =              FIELD_PRIME       ; 
+  let c: Big = BigInt::add(&FIELD_PRIME, &one);
+  println!("a = {}", a );
+  println!("b = {}", b );
+  println!("c = {}", c );
+  println!("{} , {} , {}" , 
+      BigInt::is_lt_prime(&a) , 
+      BigInt::is_lt_prime(&b) , 
+      BigInt::is_lt_prime(&c) );
+
   //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 }
diff --git a/src/bn254/bigint.rs b/src/bn254/bigint.rs
index 6b81712..3124b34 100644
--- a/src/bn254/bigint.rs
+++ b/src/bn254/bigint.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ use std::cmp::{Ordering,min};
 use unroll::unroll_for_loops;
 
 use crate::bn254::platform::*;
+use crate::bn254::constant::{PRIME_ARRAY};
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -114,7 +115,6 @@ impl<const N: usize> BigInt<N> {
     res
   }
 
-  #[inline(always)]
   pub fn is_lt(big1: &BigInt<N>, big2: &BigInt<N>) -> bool {
     BigInt::cmp(&big1, &big2) == Ordering::Less
   }
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ impl<const N: usize> BigInt<N> {
     !BigInt::is_lt(&big1, &big2)
   }
 
+  //------------------------------------
+
   #[inline(always)]
   #[unroll_for_loops]
   pub fn addCarry(big1: &BigInt<N>, big2: &BigInt<N>) -> (BigInt<N>, bool) {
@@ -169,6 +171,71 @@ impl<const N: usize> BigInt<N> {
     out
   }
 
+  //------------------------------------
+  // specialize to the prime number
+
+  #[inline(always)]
+  #[unroll_for_loops]
+  pub fn is_lt_prime(big: &BigInt<N>) -> bool {
+    let mut less: bool = false;
+    for i in (0..N).rev() {
+      if big.0[i] < PRIME_ARRAY[i] {
+        less = true;
+        break;
+      }
+      if big.0[i] > PRIME_ARRAY[i] {
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    less
+  }
+
+  #[inline(always)]
+  pub fn is_ge_prime(big: &BigInt<N>) -> bool {
+    !BigInt::is_lt_prime(big)
+  }
+
+  #[inline(always)]
+  #[unroll_for_loops]
+  pub fn add_prime(big: &BigInt<N>) -> (BigInt<N>, bool) {
+    let mut c  : bool = false;  
+    let mut zs : [u32; N] = [0; N];
+    for i in 0..N {
+      let (z,cout) = addCarry32( big.0[i] , PRIME_ARRAY[i] , c );
+      zs[i] = z;
+      c = cout;
+    }
+    let big: BigInt<N> = BigInt(zs);
+    (big, c)
+  }
+
+  #[inline(always)]
+  #[unroll_for_loops]
+  pub fn subtract_prime(big: &BigInt<N>) -> (BigInt<N>, bool) {
+    let mut c  : bool = false;  
+    let mut zs : [u32; N] = [0; N];
+    for i in 0..N {
+      let (z,cout) = subBorrow32( big.0[i] , PRIME_ARRAY[i] , c );
+      zs[i] = z;
+      c = cout;
+    }
+    let big: BigInt<N> = BigInt(zs); 
+    (big, c)
+  }
+
+  #[inline(always)]
+  pub fn subtract_prime_if_necessary(big: &BigInt<N>) -> BigInt<N> {
+    if BigInt::is_lt_prime(big) {
+      *big
+    }
+    else {
+      let (corrected, _) = BigInt::subtract_prime(big);
+      corrected
+    }
+  }
+
+  //------------------------------------
+
   pub fn scale(scalar: u32, big2: &BigInt<N>) -> (BigInt<N>, u32) {
     let mut c  : u32 = 0;
     let mut zs : [u32; N] = [0; N];
diff --git a/src/bn254/constant.rs b/src/bn254/constant.rs
index cdfe0c4..6969473 100644
--- a/src/bn254/constant.rs
+++ b/src/bn254/constant.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use crate::bn254::bigint::*;
 
 type Big = BigInt<8>;
 
+pub const PRIME_ARRAY  : [u32; 8]  =               [ 0xf0000001 , 0x43e1f593 , 0x79b97091 , 0x2833e848 , 0x8181585d , 0xb85045b6 , 0xe131a029 , 0x30644e72 ];
 pub const PRIME_EXT    : BigInt<9> = BigInt::make( [ 0xf0000001 , 0x43e1f593 , 0x79b97091 , 0x2833e848 , 0x8181585d , 0xb85045b6 , 0xe131a029 , 0x30644e72 , 0x00000000 ] );
 pub const FIELD_PRIME  : Big       = BigInt::make( [ 0xf0000001 , 0x43e1f593 , 0x79b97091 , 0x2833e848 , 0x8181585d , 0xb85045b6 , 0xe131a029 , 0x30644e72 ] );
 pub const PRIME_PLUS_1 : Big       = BigInt::make( [ 0xf0000002 , 0x43e1f593 , 0x79b97091 , 0x2833e848 , 0x8181585d , 0xb85045b6 , 0xe131a029 , 0x30644e72 ] );
diff --git a/src/bn254/field.rs b/src/bn254/field.rs
index 47aa164..d8797ec 100644
--- a/src/bn254/field.rs
+++ b/src/bn254/field.rs
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ impl Felt {
 
   pub fn checked_make( xs: [u32; 8] ) -> Felt {
     let big: Big = BigInt::make(xs);
-    if BigInt::is_lt(&big, &FIELD_PRIME) {
+    if BigInt::is_lt_prime(&big) {
       Felt(big)
     }
     else {
@@ -91,19 +91,16 @@ impl Felt {
   }
 
   pub fn add(fld1: &Felt, fld2: &Felt) -> Felt {
-    let (big, carry) = BigInt::addCarry(&fld1.0, &fld2.0);
-    if carry || BigInt::is_ge(&big, &FIELD_PRIME) {
-      Felt(BigInt::sub(&big, &FIELD_PRIME))
-    }
-    else {
-      Felt(big)
-    }
+    let (A, _) = BigInt::addCarry(&fld1.0, &fld2.0);
+    let  B     = BigInt::subtract_prime_if_necessary(&A);
+    Felt(B) 
   }
 
   pub fn sub(fld1: &Felt, fld2: &Felt) -> Felt {
     let (big, carry) = BigInt::subBorrow(&fld1.0, &fld2.0);
     if carry {
-      Felt(BigInt::add(&big, &FIELD_PRIME))
+      let (corrected, _) = BigInt::add_prime(&big);
+      Felt(corrected)
     }
     else {
       Felt(big)
diff --git a/src/bn254/montgomery.rs b/src/bn254/montgomery.rs
index e2e2aa6..413424c 100644
--- a/src/bn254/montgomery.rs
+++ b/src/bn254/montgomery.rs
@@ -59,20 +59,17 @@ impl Mont {
 
   #[inline(always)]
   pub fn add(mont1: &Mont, mont2: &Mont) -> Mont {
-    let (big, carry) = BigInt::addCarry(&mont1.0, &mont2.0);
-    if carry || BigInt::is_ge(&big, &FIELD_PRIME) {
-      Mont(BigInt::sub(&big, &FIELD_PRIME))
-    }
-    else {
-      Mont(big)
-    }
+    let (A, _) = BigInt::addCarry(&mont1.0, &mont2.0);
+    let  B     = BigInt::subtract_prime_if_necessary(&A);
+    Mont(B) 
   }
 
   #[inline(always)]
   pub fn sub(mont1: &Mont, mont2: &Mont) -> Mont {
     let (big, carry) = BigInt::subBorrow(&mont1.0, &mont2.0);
     if carry {
-      Mont(BigInt::add(&big, &FIELD_PRIME))
+      let (corrected, _) = BigInt::add_prime(&big);
+      Mont(corrected)
     }
     else {
       Mont(big)
@@ -134,7 +131,7 @@ impl Mont {
       let mut carry: u32 = 0;
       let m: u32 = mulTrunc32( T[i] , MONT_Q );
       for j in 0..8 {
-        let (lo,hi) = mulAddAdd32( m, BigInt::unwrap(FIELD_PRIME)[j], carry, T[i+j] );
+        let (lo,hi) = mulAddAdd32( m, PRIME_ARRAY[j], carry, T[i+j] );
         T[i+j] = lo;
         carry  = hi;
       }
@@ -148,17 +145,9 @@ impl Mont {
     let mut S : [u32; 8] = [0; 8];
     for i in 0..8 { S[i] = T[8+i]; }
 
-    let A     :  Big       = BigInt::make(S);
-    let (B,c) : (Big,bool) = BigInt::subBorrow( &A , &FIELD_PRIME );
-
-    if c {
-      // `A - prime < 0` is equivalent to `A < prime` 
-      A
-    }
-    else {
-      // `A - prime >= 0` is equivalent to `A >= prime`
-      B
-    }
+    let A : Big = BigInt::make(S);
+    let B : Big = BigInt::subtract_prime_if_necessary(&A); 
+    B
   }
 
   pub fn sqr(mont: &Mont) -> Mont {
@@ -174,7 +163,7 @@ impl Mont {
   // this does conversion from the standard representation
   // we assume the input is in the range `[0..p-1]`
   pub fn unsafe_convert_from_big(input: &Big) -> Mont {
-    let mont: Mont = Mont(input.clone());
+    let mont: Mont = Mont(*input);
     Mont::mul( &mont , &MONT_R2 )
   }