Exercise 9.39

Let p ≡ 1 ( mod 6 ) and write 4 p = A 2 + 27 B 2 , A ≡ 1 ( mod 3 ) . Put m = ( p − 1 ) ∕ 6 . Show ( 3 m m ) ≡ − 1 ( mod p ) ⟺ 2 ∣ B .

Answers

Proof. Let p be a rational prime, p ≡ 1 ( mod 6 ) . As p ≡ 1 ( mod 3 ) , we know from Theorem 2, Chapter 8, that there are integers A and B such that 4 p = A 2 + 27 B 2 , A ≡ 1 ( mod 3 ) , and that A is uniquely determined by these conditions.

Then A , B have same parities. If we take a = A + 3 B 2 , b = 3 B , then A = 2 a − b , B = b 3 , and 4 p = ( 2 a − b ) 2 + 3 b 2 , so p = a 2 − ab + b 2 . If π = a + bω , then N ( π ) = p . Since A = 2 a − b ≡ 1 [ 3 ] , and b = 3 B ≡ 0 [ 3 ] , then a ≡ − 1 [ 3 ] , so π is a primary prime.

∙ Suppose that 2 ∣ B . Since p = a 2 − ab + b 2 is odd, and b = 3 B ,

2 ∣ B ⟺ 2 ∣ b ⟺ ( b ≡ 0 [ 2 ] , a ≡ 1 [ 2 ] ) ⟺ π ≡ 1 [ 2 ] .

By Proposition 9.6.1,

π ≡ 1 [ 2 ] ⟺ x 3 − 2  is solvable in  D ⟺ χ π ( 2 ) = 1 .

Therefore

2 ∣ B ⟺ χ π ( 2 ) = 1 .

Here χ π is of order 3, so χ π 2 ≠ 𝜀 . By Exercise 8.6,

J ( χ π , χ π ) = χ π ( 2 ) − 2 J ( χ π , ρ ) ,

where ρ is the Legendre’s character.

In this case, 2 ∣ B , χ π ( 2 ) = 1 , so J ( χ π , χ π ) = J ( χ π , ρ ) , and by Lemma 1 section 4, where p ≡ 1 [ 3 ] and p = N ( π ) ,

π = a + bω = J ( χ π , χ π ) = J ( χ π , ρ ) .

By Exercise 8.15,

N ( y 2 = x 3 + 1 ) = p + A ,

and the Exercise 8.27(b) gives

N ( y 2 = x 3 + 1 ) = N ( y 2 + x 3 = 1 ) = p + 2 Re J ( χ π , ρ ) .

thus

A = 2 Re J ( χ π , ρ ) = 2 Re π = 2 a − b .

Moreover, since J ( χ π , ρ ) = π = a + bω , by Exercise 8.27(c),

2 a − b ≡ − ( ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 3 ) .

Therefore

− A ≡ ( ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 3 ) = ( ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 − ( p − 1 ) ∕ 6 ) = ( ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 6 ) = ( 3 m m ) ( mod p ) ,

where m = ( p − 1 ) ∕ 6 . Since A ≡ 1 ( mod 3 ) ,

( 3 m m ) ≡ − 1 ( mod p ) .

∙ Conversely, suppose that ( 3 m m ) ≡ − 1 ( mod p ) . Then A = 2 a − b ≡ − ( 3 m m ) ( mod p ) . Write J ( χ π , ρ ) = c + dω . By Exercise 8.27(c), 2 c − d ≡ − ( 3 m m ) ( mod p ) . thus

2 a − b ≡ 2 c − d ( mod p ) .

Since | J ( χ π , ρ ) | = p ,

4 p = ( 2 a − b ) 2 + 3 b 2 = ( 2 c − d ) 2 + 3 d 2 ,

thus d ≡ ± b ( mod p ) .

By Exercise 8.6,

π = J ( χ π , χ π ) = χ π ( 2 ) − 2 J ( χ π , ρ ) ,

Here χ π is of order 3, therefore χ π ( 2 ) − 2 = χ π ( 2 ) ∈ { 1 , ω , ω 2 } , so

π = J ( χ π , χ π ) = χ π ( 2 ) J ( χ π , ρ ) .

If χ π ( 2 ) = ω , then a + bω = ω ( c + dω ) = − d + ω ( c − d ) . Then a = − d ≡ ± b ( mod p ) . As a ≡ − bω ( mod π ) , we would have − bω ≡ ± b ( mod π ) . Here π ∤ b , otherwise p = N ( π ) ∣ N ( b ) = b 2 , so p ∣ b , and p = a 2 − ab + b 2 , so p ∣ a , and p 2 ∣ p , which is a nonsense. Therefore π ∣ ω ± 1 , where π is a primary prime: it’s impossible. Indeed ω + 1 is a unit and ω − 1 is prime, so π ∣ ω − 1 = − λ implies that π and λ are associate, in contradiction with N ( π ) = p ≠ 3 = N ( λ ) .

If χ π ( 2 ) = ω 2 , then a + bω = ω 2 ( c + dω ) = ( d − c ) − ωc , so a = d − c , b = − c .

Reasoning modulo π ¯ = a + b ω 2 = ( a − b ) + bω , where π ¯ ∣ π π ¯ = p , we obtain

d = a − b ≡ − bω ( mod π ¯ ) ,

where d ≡ ± b ( mod π ¯ ) , so − bω ≡ ± b ( mod π ¯ ) . Since N ( π ¯ ) = p , we obtain the same contradiction as above.

So χ π ( 2 ) = 1 , and the previously proved equivalence 2 ∣ B ⟺ χ π ( 2 ) = 1 show that 2 ∣ B .

Conclusion:

( ( p − 1 ) ∕ 2 ( p − 1 ) ∕ 6 ) ≡ − 1 ( mod p ) ⟺ 2 ∣ B .

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2022-07-19 00:00
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