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03 Number Theory Modular Arithmetic PDF

This document discusses modular arithmetic and its applications to solving clock problems using modulo operations. It provides facts and examples about using modulo to handle large numbers by reducing them into fixed cycles. Modulo is useful when the problem involves cyclic quantities like clocks, repeating sequences, or where intermediate results may overflow without reduction.

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183 views13 pages

03 Number Theory Modular Arithmetic PDF

This document discusses modular arithmetic and its applications to solving clock problems using modulo operations. It provides facts and examples about using modulo to handle large numbers by reducing them into fixed cycles. Modulo is useful when the problem involves cyclic quantities like clocks, repeating sequences, or where intermediate results may overflow without reduction.

Uploaded by

Anonymous UIF2sJQqY
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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P T H I N K F A ST S

Competitive Programming
From Problem 2 Solution in O(1)

Number Theory
Modular Arithmetic

Mostafa Saad Ibrahim


PhD Student @ Simon Fraser University
12-hour Clock Cycle

If it is 9 now, what time: Facts:


after 4 h? 1 N = x + m * 12
after 16 (4 + 12) h? 1 N is number, x < 12, m >= 0
after 17 (5 + 12) h? 2 Every multiple of 12 is useless
after 29 (5 + 2*12) h? 2 What is less than 12 affects us.
before 24 (2*12) h? 9 We can go forward or backward
before 25 (1+2*12) h? 8
Modulo (modulus) operation

a modulo n = finds the remainder of after


division by n: In C++, operator is %
let a = 27, n = 12, then r = a % n?
27 / 12 = (3+2*12)/12 = 3/12 + 2 = 2.25
q (quotient), the Integer division part is 2
r (remainder) of division is 3
r = 27 % 12 = 3 => Remainder from division
a = nq + r (q multiple of n + r [< n])
% operator is finally:
|r| < n
Back to the clock
If it is 9 now, what time:
after 4 h? => 9 + 4 = 13 h => 13 % 12 = 1
after 16 (4 + 12) h? => 9 + 16 = 25 h => 25 % 12 = 1
after 17 (5 + 12) h? => 9 + 17 = 26 h => 26 % 12 = 2
after 29 (5 + 2*12) h? => 9 + 29 = 38 h => 38 % 12 = 2
before 24 (2*12) h? 9 => 9 - 24 = -15h => hmm
15 % 12 = 3.hmm, we are sure results should be 9 too
+ve is not as same -ve
Fact: r = a % n = (a+qn)%n => I.e. adding multiplier on doesnt affect results
-15 + 12 = -3, still negative, add another 12
-3 + 12 = 9 Good! Done
In C++: -15h % 12 = -3, so you need to add 12 only once
What time before 25 (1+2*12) h? 9 - 25 = -16 => -16 % 12 = -4 [in C++]
Add 1 cycle to make it positive: -4 + 12 = 8 hours
In C++: for any r => (a % n + a) % n is always positive
modulus is expensive

% and / are time expensive operations


If you can avoid them, avoid them
One scenario, when you are sure results can be
fixed with little +/- of mod value
we can directly do: a = (a%n + n)%n
1 addition and 2 mod operations
maybe we can fix results with e.g. 2 comparison/add
while(a >= n) a -= n;
while(a < 0) a += n;
Facts

To get modulus => add/remove cycles of n till


0 <= r <= n-1
27 % 12 => 15 % 12 => 3 % 12 = 3
-15 % 12 => -3 % 12 => 9 % 12
|a%n| has n-1: 0, 1, ...n-1
In C++:
a%3 => -2, -1, 0, 1, 2 [for a -ve or +ve]
a % n (for +ve) or (a % n + n) % n (generally)
a%n = 0 => a divisible by n
If a%n == b%n => (a-b)%n = 0
largest n such that a%n = b%n is n = b-a
Facts

(a % n) %n = a % n
(n ^ x) % n = 0 for any x >= 0
-a%n != a%n => (3 %12 = 3 vs -3 %12 = 9)
((-a%n)+(a%n))%n = 0
(a+b) % n = (a%n + b%n) % n
(a+b+c+d)%n?
You can take mod of every one and sum
or ((((a%n+(b%n))%n+c%n)%n+d%n)%n
x % (a+b) != x % a + x %b
x%10 [the last digit]. x/10 [remove last digit]
Facts

(a*b) % n = (a%n * b%n) % n


(a^b) % n = ((a%n)^b) % n
(a^b) % n => assume b even and x = b/2
( (a^x) % n * (a^x) % n)%n
(1/a) % n ? modular multiplicative inverse
( (a*b) % n * (1/a)%n) %n = b % n
a % (2^n) = a & (n-1) => E.g. a%4 = a&3
a % 0 is undefined
When -ve result => result = (result + n)%n
Facts

What is wrong here?


Cycling examples

A machine keeps generating the sequence 5 2


7 1 for infinity..what is its value after 10^12
steps? 5 2 7 1 5 2 7 1 5 2 7 1 .
After 0 steps => 5 After 3 steps => 5
After 4 steps => 5 After 5 steps => 2
It keep cycling. Remove all cycling at once: 10^12 % 4
Rings, Cycles, ...should trigger the mod
Given position X in array, iterate back M
steps? We may cycle and back to array end
Why modulus?

Either cycle (ring) is nature of the problem


12-hour clock, week is 7 days, year is 356/366 days
Encryption Algorithms, Pseudo-random Generators
For fun, e.g. what is the last digit of 2^100?
In competitions, final result is too big, but we want to
avoid using big integers. Using mode, truncate results
You are sure final results <= n, but intermediate results
overflow. Take intermediate % x (x > n)
1001 - 1111 + 153 = 43 ...let x = 44
( (1001%44 + ((-1111%44)+44)%44 + 153%44 )%44
(33+33+21)%44 = 87%44 = 43
UVA 408, 10006, CF447-A, CF284-A, 332A,
11155, 132A, 374, 128,
SRM 144-D2-1
CF476-D2-C
https://www.hackerrank.
com/domains/mathematics/fundamentals

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