diff --git a/src/math/big/nat.go b/src/math/big/nat.go
index 3b5c0f6e72..17d5b8ae2b 100644
--- a/src/math/big/nat.go
+++ b/src/math/big/nat.go
@@ -991,7 +991,7 @@ func (z nat) expNN(x, y, m nat) nat {
 	// otherwise the arguments would alias.
 	var zz, r nat
 	for j := 0; j < w; j++ {
-		zz = zz.mul(z, z)
+		zz = zz.sqr(z)
 		zz, z = z, zz
 
 		if v&mask != 0 {
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@ func (z nat) expNN(x, y, m nat) nat {
 		v = y[i]
 
 		for j := 0; j < _W; j++ {
-			zz = zz.mul(z, z)
+			zz = zz.sqr(z)
 			zz, z = z, zz
 
 			if v&mask != 0 {
@@ -1044,7 +1044,7 @@ func (z nat) expNNWindowed(x, y, m nat) nat {
 	powers[1] = x
 	for i := 2; i < 1<<n; i += 2 {
 		p2, p, p1 := &powers[i/2], &powers[i], &powers[i+1]
-		*p = p.mul(*p2, *p2)
+		*p = p.sqr(*p2)
 		zz, r = zz.div(r, *p, m)
 		*p, r = r, *p
 		*p1 = p1.mul(*p, x)
@@ -1061,22 +1061,22 @@ func (z nat) expNNWindowed(x, y, m nat) nat {
 				// Unrolled loop for significant performance
 				// gain. Use go test -bench=".*" in crypto/rsa
 				// to check performance before making changes.
-				zz = zz.mul(z, z)
+				zz = zz.sqr(z)
 				zz, z = z, zz
 				zz, r = zz.div(r, z, m)
 				z, r = r, z
 
-				zz = zz.mul(z, z)
+				zz = zz.sqr(z)
 				zz, z = z, zz
 				zz, r = zz.div(r, z, m)
 				z, r = r, z
 
-				zz = zz.mul(z, z)
+				zz = zz.sqr(z)
 				zz, z = z, zz
 				zz, r = zz.div(r, z, m)
 				z, r = r, z
 
-				zz = zz.mul(z, z)
+				zz = zz.sqr(z)
 				zz, z = z, zz
 				zz, r = zz.div(r, z, m)
 				z, r = r, z
diff --git a/src/math/big/natconv.go b/src/math/big/natconv.go
index 25a345ef0e..b50f1be3bd 100644
--- a/src/math/big/natconv.go
+++ b/src/math/big/natconv.go
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ func divisors(m int, b Word, ndigits int, bb Word) []divisor {
 					table[0].bbb = nat(nil).expWW(bb, Word(leafSize))
 					table[0].ndigits = ndigits * leafSize
 				} else {
-					table[i].bbb = nat(nil).mul(table[i-1].bbb, table[i-1].bbb)
+					table[i].bbb = nat(nil).sqr(table[i-1].bbb)
 					table[i].ndigits = 2 * table[i-1].ndigits
 				}
 
diff --git a/src/math/big/prime.go b/src/math/big/prime.go
index 3e9690e55e..848affbf5b 100644
--- a/src/math/big/prime.go
+++ b/src/math/big/prime.go
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ NextRandom:
 			continue
 		}
 		for j := uint(1); j < k; j++ {
-			y = y.mul(y, y)
+			y = y.sqr(y)
 			quotient, y = quotient.div(y, y, n)
 			if y.cmp(nm1) == 0 {
 				continue NextRandom
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ func (n nat) probablyPrimeLucas() bool {
 			// If n is a non-square we expect to find a d in just a few attempts on average.
 			// After 40 attempts, take a moment to check if n is indeed a square.
 			t1 = t1.sqrt(n)
-			t1 = t1.mul(t1, t1)
+			t1 = t1.sqr(t1)
 			if t1.cmp(n) == 0 {
 				return false
 			}
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ func (n nat) probablyPrimeLucas() bool {
 			t1 = t1.sub(t1, natP)
 			t2, vk = t2.div(vk, t1, n)
 			// V(k'+1) = V(2k+2) = V(k+1)² - 2.
-			t1 = t1.mul(vk1, vk1)
+			t1 = t1.sqr(vk1)
 			t1 = t1.add(t1, nm2)
 			t2, vk1 = t2.div(vk1, t1, n)
 		} else {
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ func (n nat) probablyPrimeLucas() bool {
 			t1 = t1.sub(t1, natP)
 			t2, vk1 = t2.div(vk1, t1, n)
 			// V(k') = V(2k) = V(k)² - 2
-			t1 = t1.mul(vk, vk)
+			t1 = t1.sqr(vk)
 			t1 = t1.add(t1, nm2)
 			t2, vk = t2.div(vk, t1, n)
 		}
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ func (n nat) probablyPrimeLucas() bool {
 		}
 		// k' = 2k
 		// V(k') = V(2k) = V(k)² - 2
-		t1 = t1.mul(vk, vk)
+		t1 = t1.sqr(vk)
 		t1 = t1.sub(t1, natTwo)
 		t2, vk = t2.div(vk, t1, n)
 	}