Exercise 6.22

Show that the relation 𝜀 ≡ 1 ( mod p ) in Proposition 6.4.4 can also be achieved by replacing x by 1 + t instead of e z .

Answers

Proof. (solution given by Mikomikon and A.Grounds (agrounds))

We know from the remark after Prop 6.4.3 that

g ( χ ) = 𝜀 ∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( ζ 2 k − 1 − ζ − ( 2 k − 1 ) ) ,

where 𝜀 = ± 1 . Let

f ( x ) = ∑ j = 1 p − 1 χ ( j ) x j − 𝜀 ∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( x 2 k − 1 − x p − ( 2 k − 1 ) ) .

Then f ( 0 ) = 0 and f ( ζ ) = 0 , therefore ( x p − 1 ) divides f ( x ) . As f ( x ) ∈ ℤ [ x ] and x p − 1 ∈ ℤ [ x ] is monic, f ( x ) = ( x p − 1 ) h ( x ) , h ( x ) ∈ ℤ [ x ] . If we replace x by 1 + t , we obtain

f ( 1 + t ) = ∑ j = 1 p − 1 χ ( j ) ( 1 + t ) j − 𝜀 ∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( ( 1 + t ) 2 k − 1 − ( 1 + t ) p − ( 2 k − 1 ) ) .

We compute the coefficient of t ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 in the polynomial f ( 1 + t ) :

∑ j = 1 p − 1 χ ( j ) ( 1 + t ) j = ∑ j = 1 p − 1 χ ( j ) ∑ i = 1 j ( j i ) t i = ∑ i = 1 p − 1 ∑ j = i p − 1 χ ( j ) ( j i ) t i

Thus the coefficient of t ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 in ∑ ⁡ j = 1 p − 1 χ ( j ) ( 1 + t ) j is ∑ ⁡ j = ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 p − 1 χ ( j ) ( j ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ) .

∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( ( 1 + t ) 2 k − 1 − ( 1 + t ) p − ( 2 k − 1 ) ) = ∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( ( 1 + ( 2 k − 1 ) t ) − ( 1 + ( p − ( 2 k − 1 ) ) t + t 2 u ( t ) ) = ∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( ( 4 k − 2 − p ) t + t 2 v ( t ) ) = t ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( ∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( 4 k − 2 − p ) ) + t ( p + 1 ) ∕ 2 w ( t ) ,

where u ( t ) , v ( t ) , w ( t ) are polynomials. So the coefficient of t ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 in f ( 1 + t ) is

c ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 = ∑ j = ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 p − 1 χ ( j ) ( j ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ) − 𝜀 ∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( 4 k − 2 − p ) .

Furthermore,

f ( 1 + t ) = ( ( 1 + t ) p − 1 ) h ( 1 + t ) = [ ∑ i = 1 p ( p i ) t i ] h ( 1 + t ) = [ ∑ i = 1 p i ! ( p i ) t i i ! ] h ( 1 + t ) = [ ∑ i = 0 p a i t i i ! ] h ( 1 + t ) ,

where a 0 = 0 , a i = i ! ( p i ) = p ! ( p − i ) ! , so p ∣ a i , i = 0 , … , p − 1 : the conditions of Ex.21 are verified, so f ( 1 + t ) = ∑ ⁡ i = 0 p − 1 c i t i is such that c ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 = p ( A ∕ B ) , p ∤ B . Equating these two evaluations of c ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 , we obtain

∑ j = ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 p − 1 χ ( j ) ( j ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ) − 𝜀 ∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( 4 k − 2 − p ) = p A B , p ∤ B .

Multiplying by B ( p − 1 ) ! ∕ 2 , we obtain, as p ∤ B ,

( p − 1 ) ! 2 ∑ j = ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 p − 1 χ ( j ) ( j ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ) ≡ 𝜀 ( p − 1 ) ! 2 ∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( 4 k − 2 ) ≡ 𝜀 ( 2 ⋅ 4 ⋅ 6 ⋯ ( p − 1 ) ) ∏ k = 1 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( 2 k − 1 ) ≡ 𝜀 ( p − 1 ) ! ≡ − 𝜀 ( mod p )

To prove that 𝜀 = + 1 , it remains to prove

S : = ( ( p − 1 ) 2 ) ! ∑ j = ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 p − 1 χ ( j ) ( j ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ) ≡ − 1 ( mod p )

The factor of ( ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ) ! cancels the denominator of ( j ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ) , which leaves

S = ∑ j = ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 p − 1 χ ( j ) ⋅ j ( j − 1 ) ⋯ ( j − p − 1 2 + 1 ) = ∑ j = 1 p − 1 χ ( j ) ⋅ j ( j − 1 ) ⋯ ( j − p − 1 2 + 1 ) .

The last equality is justified because all terms for j < p − 1 2 are zero. Collecting powers of j , this is

S = ∑ j = 1 p − 1 ∑ k = 0 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 χ ( j ) a k j k ≡ ∑ k = 0 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 a k ∑ j = 1 p − 1 j k + p − 1 2 ( mod p )

for some integers a k . It’s important to note that a ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 = 1 .

Now, we compute ∑ ⁡ j = 1 p − 1 j n mod p . Let T denote this sum and let g be a generator of ℤ ∕ p × . Then, for all positive integer n ,

g n T = ∑ j = 1 p − 1 ( gj ) n ≡ ∑ k = 1 p − 1 k n = T ( mod p ) .

Congruence holds because gj also runs over a complete system of nonzero residues mod p . If g n ≢ 1 , that is if p − 1 ∤ n , then T ≡ 0 ( mod p ) . If g n ≡ 1 , then j n ≡ 1 for all j , hence T ≡ p − 1 ≡ − 1 ( mod p ) .

Returning to the previous sum, the only nonzero term modulo p is k = p − 1 2 , so

S ≡ ∑ k = 0 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 a k ∑ j = 1 p − 1 j k + p − 1 2 ≡ a ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ⋅ ( − 1 ) = − 1 ( mod p )

as desired. □

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2022-07-19 00:00
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