MATH 312 Optional Assignment 5 Solutions

1. Find all solutions to the following linear congruences using Fermat’s Little Theorem or
Euler’s Theorem to help you. Show all your steps.

(a) 3462 x ≡ 6173 (mod 59) (b) 27145 x ≡ 1 (mod 42)

Solution:
(a) First note that (3, 59) = 1, so we can divide both sides of the congruence by 3173
to get 3289 x ≡ 2173 (mod 59). Next, 59 is prime, so by Fermat’s Little Theorem (or
Euler’s Theorem) we only need to consider exponents modulo 59 − 1 = 58. Since 289 ≡
57 (mod 59) and 173 mod 58 = 57, the congruence can now be written 357 x ≡ 257
(mod 59). But 357 ≡ 3 (mod 59) and 257 ≡ 2 ≡ 30 (mod 59), so:

3x ≡ 2 (mod 59)
=⇒ x ≡ 3 · 2 (mod 59)
≡ 3 · 30 (mod 59)
≡ 31 (mod 59)

(b) Since 27145 and 42 are even but 1 is odd, there is no solution to this congruence.
[This was actually a mistake; I had meant to use a different modulus!]

2. Find the value of the Euler phi-function φ(n) for each of the following integers n. Show all
steps.

(a) n = 1001 (b) n = 27,000,000

Solution:
(a) By using the divisibility rule for 11 we see that 1001 is divisible by 11, and can factor
it as 1001 = 11 · 91 = 7 · 11 · 13. Then φ(1001) = φ(7)φ(11)φ(13) = 6 · 10 · 12 = 720.
(b) We see that 27,000,000 = 33 ·26 ·56 , so φ(27,000,000) = φ(33 )φ(26 )φ(56 ) = (32 )(2)(25 )(1)(55 )(4)
= 7,200,000

3. Use prime
 factorization to show that if m and n are positive integers such that m n, then
φ(m)φ(n).

Solution: Let the prime factorization of n be n = p1 e1 · · · pk ek = ki=1 pi ei . Since mn,

Q 

the prime factorization of m must be m = p1 f1 · · · pk fk = ki=1 pi fi for some non-negative

Q
Qk ei −1
Qk fi −1
integers fi ≤ ei . Then  e −1 φ(n) = i=1 p i (p i − 1) and φ(m) = i=1 pi (pi − 1). And
fi −1
since pi (pi − 1)pi i
(pi − 1) for i = 1, . . . , k, it follows that φ(m)φ(n). Specifically,
Yk
φ(n)/φ(m) = pi ei −fi , which is an integer because fi ≤ ei for i = 1, . . . , k.
i=1
4. It is sometimes possible to prove a stronger statement than Euler’s Theorem by using the
Chinese Remainder Theorem, as shown in this question. Suppose that n is any integer that
is relatively prime to 105.

(a) Use Euler’s Theorem to prove that n48 ≡ 1 (mod 105).

(b) Now prove that in fact n12 ≡ 1 (mod 105). [Hint: Use the Chinese Remainder Theorem
to work with smaller moduli and then use Fermat’s Little Theorem.]

Solution:

(a) φ(105) = φ(3)φ(5)φ(7) = 2 · 4 · 6 = 48. So by Euler’s Theorem, n48 ≡ 1 (mod 105)

since (n, 105) = 1.
(b) Notice that 12 is divisible by all of 2, 4, 6. Using Fermat’s Little Theorem, we have the
following:
n2 ≡ 1 (mod 3) =⇒ n12 = (n2 )6 ≡ 1 (mod 3)
n4 ≡ 1 (mod 5) =⇒ n12 = (n4 )3 ≡ 1 (mod 5)
n6 ≡ 1 (mod 7) =⇒ n12 = (n6 )2 ≡ 1 (mod 7)
So by the Chinese Remainder Theorem we can conclude that n12 ≡ 1 (mod 105) too.

5. If t is any positive integer, describe a reduced residue system (RRS) modulo 2t , with expla-
nation.
Solution: An RRS consists of all positive integers less than 2t which are relatively prime
to 2t . But these are just the integers that are not divisible by 2, that is, odd integers. So an
RRS consists of all odd integers less than 2t .

6. Find the number of divisors τ (n) and the sum of the divisors σ(n) of each of the following
integers n. Show all steps.

(a) n = 1001 (b) n = 27,000,000

Solution:

(a) τ (1001) = τ (71 )τ (111 )τ (131 ) = (1

 +2 1)(1+1)(12 + 1)=8. 2 
1 1 1 7 −1 11 − 1 13 − 1
σ(1001) = σ(7 )σ(11 )σ(13 ) =
7−1 11 − 1 13 − 1
= (7 + 1)(11 + 1)(13 + 1) = 1344.
(b) τ (27,000,000) = τ (33 )τ (26 )τ (56 ) = (3
 +4 1)(6+1)(6 + 1) = 196. 
7
57 − 1

3 −1 2 −1
σ(27,000,000) = σ(33 )σ(26 )σ(56 ) =
    3−1 2−1 5−1
80 127 78124
= = 99,217,480.
2 1 4

7. (a) If a is an integer that is not divisible by 23, what are the possible values of ord23 (a)?
(b) Use part (a) to help show that 5 is a primitive root modulo 23.

2
 (c) Show that 2 is NOT a primitive root modulo 23, by using part (b) to help find ord23 (2).
[Hint: Write 2 as a power of 5 (mod 23).]
(d) Use part (b) to help find four more primitive roots modulo 23.
Solution:

(a) ord23 (a)φ(23) = 22, so the possible values of ord23 (a) are 1, 2, 11, 22.
(b) First note that 52 ≡ 2 6≡ 1 (mod 23), so clearly ord23 (5) 6= 1, 2. We now calculate 511
mod 23 as follows:
53 ≡ 5 · 2 ≡ 10 (mod 23)
54 ≡ 22 ≡ 4 (mod 23)
58 ≡ 42 ≡ 16 (mod 23)
=⇒ 511 = 53 · 58 ≡ (10)(16) ≡ −1 (mod 23)

So we see that ord23 (5) 6= 11 too, and therefore the only possibility is ord23 (5) = 22, so
5 is a primitive root mod 23.
(c) From part (b) we see that 2 ≡ 52 (mod 23). So since 5 is primitive, we have ord23 (2) =
22
= 11.
(2, 22)
(d) 5u is primitive iff (u, 22) = 1, so for example 53 , 55 , 57 , 59 are primitive modulo 23. Using
results from part (b) we get:

53 ≡ 10 (mod 23)
55 = 52 · 53 ≡ 2 · 10 ≡ 20 (mod 23)
57 = 52 · 55 ≡ 2 · 20 ≡ 17 (mod 23)
59 = 52 · 57 ≡ 2 · 17 ≡ 11 (mod 23)

So 10, 20, 7, 11 are also primitive roots mod 23.

8. If p is an odd prime and a is a primitive root mod p, prove that a(p−1)/2 ≡ −1 (mod p).
Solution: Let b = a(p−1)/2 mod p. Then b2 ≡ 1 (mod p), so b ≡ ±1 (mod p) since p is
prime. But b ≡ 1 is impossible because a is primitive, so b ≡ −1 (mod p).