Abstract. The aim of this paper is to describe the theory and implementation of the Elliptic Curve Primality Proving algorithm.Problema, números primos a compositis dignoscendi, hosque in factores suos primos resolvendi, ad gravissima ac utilissima totius arithmeticae pertinere, et geometrarum turn veterum turn recentiorum industriam ac sagacitatem occupavisse, tarn notum est, ut de hac re copióse loqui superfluum foret.C. F. Gauss [38, Art. 329]