MT 430 Intro to Number Theory

PROBLEM SET 3

Due Thursday 2/14

Remark. Here, as in class, whenever working modulo m, we use notation x to
denote a multiplicative inverse of x modulo m. Whenever (x, m) = 1, x is the
unique residue modulo m such that xx 1 (mod m).
Problem 1. Let p be an odd prime number. Show that the congruence
x2 1 (mod pn )
has only the two solutions x 1 (mod pn ) and x 1 (mod pn ).
Solution: The statement x2 1 (mod pn ) is equivalent to
pn | (x2 1) = (x 1)(x + 1).
Since (x + 1) (x 1) = 2, the numbers (x + 1) and (x 1) cannot be divisible
by p simultaneously. If (x 1) is not divisible by p, then since p is a prime and pn
divides the product (x 1)(x + 1), we must have pn | x + 1. Similarly, if (x + 1) is
not divisible by p, we must have pn | x 1. 
Problem 2. Find all x such that

x 1 (mod 4)

x 2 (mod 3)

x 5 (mod 7)

We apply the algorithmic version of Chinese Remainder Theorem from class. Take
b1 = 21 = 1 = 1 (mod 4), b2 = 28 = 1 = 1 (mod 3), and b3 = 12 = 5 = 3 (mod 7).
Then
x = 1 b1 21 + 2 b2 28 + 5 b3 12 = 21 + 56 + 180 5 (mod 84)
is the unique solution of the system modulo 84 = 4 3 7.
Problem 3. Solve the congruence x3 + 2x 3 0 (mod 45).
Solution: Note that 45 = 5 32 . First, we solve separately the congruence x3 +
2x 3 0 modulo 5 and modulo 32 . The solutions of x3 + 2x 3 0 (mod 5) are
x 1, 3 (mod 5).
To find solutions modulo 32 , we first observe that modulo 3, x3 +2x3 x+2x
3 3x 3 0 (mod 3) by Fermats little theorem. Hence all x 0, 1, 2 (mod 3)
are all solutions modulo 3. We then compute that (x3 + 2x 3)0 = 3x2 + 2 2
(mod 3). Hence by Hensels lemma, every solution modulo 3 lifts to a unique
solution modulo 9. Since 2 = 2 (mod 3), we see that
x 0 (mod 3) lifts to x 0 2f (0) = 0 2(3) = 6 (mod 9)
x 1 (mod 3) lifts to x 1 2f (1) = 1 0 = 1 (mod 9)
x 2 (mod 3) lifts to x 2 2f (2) = 2 18 = 2 (mod 9)
We summarize that solutions of x3 + 2x 3 0 (mod 9) are x 1, 2, 6 (mod 9).
Combining these with the solution x 1, 3 (mod 5) of x3 + 2x 3 0 (mod 5)
and applying Chinese Remainder Theorem, we obtain 6 solutions modulo 45:
x 1, 28, 11, 38, 6, 33 (mod 45).
1
2 PROBLEM SET 3


Problem 4. Solve x5 + x4 + 1 0 (mod 34 ).
Hint: Hensels lemma is inapplicable here because f 0 (1) = 3 0 (mod 3). You
can still use the unique solution modulo 3 to look for solutions modulo 9.
Solution: The only solution of x5 + x4 + 1 0 (mod 3) is x = 1. Hence the only
candidates for solutions of x5 + x4 + 1 0 (mod 32 ) are x = 1, 1 + 3 = 4, and
x = 1 + 6 = 7. We check that
15 + 14 + 1 3 (mod 9)
5 4
4 + 4 + 1 3 (mod 9)
75 + 74 + 1 3 (mod 9)
5 4
Therefore, the x + x + 1 0 has no solutions modulo 9 and thus no solutions
modulo 34 . 
Problem 5 (Edited on 2/12). Let p be an odd prime and suppose that a is an
integer such that x2 a (mod p) has a solution and a 6 0 (mod p). Show that
x2 a (mod pn ) has a solution for all integers n 1.
Solution: The proof is by induction. The base case of n = 1 is given to us. Suppose
b is a solution of x2 a 0 (mod pn ). Since (x2 a)0 = 2x and 2b 6 0 (mod p),
Hensels lemma says that b lifts to a solution of x2 a 0 (mod pn+1 ). 
Remark. Eulers criterion says that for a 6 0 (mod p) the equation x2 a
(mod p) has a solution if and only if
p1
x 2 1 (mod p).
Assuming Eulers criterion, the old statement of Problem 5 is equivalent to the new
statement.