Exercise 3.8

Let p be an odd prime. If k { 1 , 2 , , p 1 } , show that there is a unique b k in this set such that k b k 1 ( mod p ) . Show that k b k unless k = 1 or k = p 1 .

Answers

Proof. existence.

As p is prime and 1 k p 1 , k p = 1 , so there exist λ k , μ k such that λ k p + μ k k = 1 . Let b k { 0 , 1 , , p 1 } such that b k μ k ( mod p ) . Then k b k 1 , and b k 0 ( mod p ) , so 1 b k p 1 .

unicity. If k b k k b k ( mod p ) , where b k , b k { 1 , 2 , , p 1 } , then p k ( b k b k ) , and p k = 1 , thus p b k b k . b k b k , and b k , b k { 1 , 2 , , p 1 } , so b k = b k .

If p is a prime number, and k { 1 , 2 , , p 1 } , there is a unique b k in { 1 , 2 , , p 1 } such that k b k 1 ( mod p ) .

If k = b k , then k 2 1 ( mod p ) , so p ( k 1 ) ( k + 1 ) , and p is a prime, thus p k 1 or p k + 1 , that is k ± 1 ( mod p ) . As 1 k p 1 , k = 1 or k = p 1 (and 1 2 ( p 1 ) 2 1 ( mod p ) ). □

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2022-07-19 00:00
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