Paper 4, Section II, E

Numbers and Sets | Part IA, 2014

(i) State and prove the Fermat-Euler Theorem.

(ii) Let pp be an odd prime number, and xx an integer coprime to pp. Show that x(p−1)/2≡±1( mod p)x^{(p-1) / 2} \equiv \pm 1(\bmod p), and that if the congruence y2≡x( mod p)y^{2} \equiv x(\bmod p) has a solution then x(p−1)/2≡1( mod p)x^{(p-1) / 2} \equiv 1(\bmod p).

(iii) By arranging the residue classes coprime to pp into pairs {a,bx}\{a, b x\} with ab≡1( mod p)a b \equiv 1(\bmod p), or otherwise, show that if the congruence y2≡x( mod p)y^{2} \equiv x(\bmod p) has no solution then x(p−1)/2≡−1( mod p).x^{(p-1) / 2} \equiv-1(\bmod p) .

(iv) Show that 555≡5( mod 23)5^{5^{5}} \equiv 5(\bmod 23).

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