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1.3 Congruences

This document discusses congruences and techniques for working with them. Some key points: - Congruences are similar to equations but differ in that you can only divide by integers relatively prime to the modulus. - Congruences can be converted to equations by introducing a variable, and equations can be converted to congruences by reducing modulo a number. - Theorems in the text provide shortcuts and algorithms for solving linear congruences and simultaneous congruence systems where the moduli are relatively prime. - Worked problems demonstrate solving single congruences, systems of congruences, and proving divisibility claims using congruence techniques.

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293 views4 pages

1.3 Congruences

This document discusses congruences and techniques for working with them. Some key points: - Congruences are similar to equations but differ in that you can only divide by integers relatively prime to the modulus. - Congruences can be converted to equations by introducing a variable, and equations can be converted to congruences by reducing modulo a number. - Theorems in the text provide shortcuts and algorithms for solving linear congruences and simultaneous congruence systems where the moduli are relatively prime. - Worked problems demonstrate solving single congruences, systems of congruences, and proving divisibility claims using congruence techniques.

Uploaded by

achandra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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1.3 J.A.

Beachy 1

1.3 Congruences
from A Study Guide for Beginner’s by J.A.Beachy,
a supplement to Abstract Algebra by Beachy / Blair

In this section, it is important to remember that although working with congruences is


almost like working with equations, it is not exactly the same.
What things are the same? You can add or subtract the same integer on both sides of
a congruence, and you can multiply both sides of a congruence by the same integer. You
can use substitution, and you can use the fact that if a ≡ b (mod n) and b ≡ c (mod n),
then a ≡ c (mod n). (Review Proposition 1.3.3, and the comments in the text both before
and after the proof of the proposition.)
What things are different? In an ordinary equation you can divide through by a nonzero
number. In a congruence modulo n, you can only divide through by an integer that is
relatively prime to n. This is usually expressed by saying that if gcd(a, n) = 1 and ac ≡
ad (mod n), then c ≡ d (mod n). Just be very careful when you cancel!
One of the important techniques to understand is how to switch between congruences
and ordinary equations. First, any equation involving integers can be converted into a
congruence by just reducing modulo n. This works because if two integers are equal, then
are certainly congruent modulo n.
To do the opposite conversion you must be more careful. If two integers are congruent
modulo n, that doesn’t make them equal, but only guarantees that dividing by n produces
the same remainder in each case. In other words, the integers may differ by some multiple
of n.
The conversion process is illustrated in Example 1.3.5 of the text, where the congruence

x ≡ 7 (mod 8)

is converted into the equation

x = 7 + 8q , for some q ∈ Z .

Notice that converting to an equation makes it more complicated, because we have to


introduce another variable. In the example, we really want a congruence modulo 5, so the
next step is to rewrite the equation as

x ≡ 7 + 8q (mod 5) .

Actually, we can reduce each term modulo 5, so that we finally get

x ≡ 2 + 3q (mod 5) .

You should read the proofs of Theorem 1.3.5 and Theorem 1.3.6 very carefully. These
proofs actually show you the necessary techniques to solve all linear congruences of the
form ax ≡ b (mod n), and all simultaneous linear equations of the form x ≡ a (mod n) and
x ≡ b (mod m), where the moduli n and m are relatively prime.
1.3 J.A.Beachy 2

Many of the theorems in the text should be thought of as “shortcuts”. They should
become your friends. You can’t afford to skip over their proofs, because you might miss
important algorithms or computational techniques.

SOLVED PROBLEMS: §1.3

29. Solve the congruence 42x ≡ 12 (mod 90).

30. (a) Find all solutions to the congruence 55x ≡ 35 (mod 75).
(b) Find all solutions to the congruence 55x ≡ 36 (mod 75).

31. (a) Find one particular integer solution to the equation 110x + 75y = 45.
(b) Show that if x = m and y = n is an integer solution to the equation in part (a),
then so is x = m + 15q and y = n − 22q, for any integer q.

32. Solve the system of congruences x ≡ 2 (mod 9) x ≡ 4 (mod 10) .

33. Solve the system of congruences x ≡ 5 (mod 25) x ≡ 23 (mod 32) .

34. Solve the system of congruences 5x ≡ 14 (mod 17) 3x ≡ 2 (mod 13) .

35. Give integers a, b, m, n to provide an example of a system

x ≡ a (mod m) x ≡ b (mod n)

that has no solution.

36. Find the additive order of each of the following integers, module 20: 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
Note: The additive order of a modulo n is defined to be the smallest positive solution
of the congruence ax ≡ 0 (mod n).

37. (a) Compute the last digit in the decimal expansion of 4100 .
(b) Is 4100 divisible by 3?

38. Find all integers n for which 13 | 4(n2 + 1).

39. Prove that 10n+1 + 4 · 10n + 4 is divisible by 9, for all positive integers n.

40. Prove that for any integer n, the number n3 + 5n is divisible by 6.

41. Use techniques of this section to prove that if m and n are odd integers, then m2 − n2
is divisible by 8. (Compare Problem 1.2.36.)

42. Prove that 42n+1 − 74n−2 is divisible by 15, for all positive integers n.

43. Prove that the fourth power of an integer can only have 0, 1, 5, or 6 as its units digit.
1.3 J.A.Beachy 3

MORE PROBLEMS: §1.3

44. Solve the following congruences.


(a) 4x ≡ 1 (mod 7)
(b) 2x ≡ 1 (mod 9)
(c) 5x ≡ 1 (mod 32)
(d) 19x ≡ 1 (mod 36)

45.†Solve the following congruences.


(a) 10x ≡ 5 (mod 21)
(b) 10x ≡ 5 (mod 15)
(c) 10x ≡ 4 (mod 15)
(d) 10x ≡ 4 (mod 14)

46. Solve the following congruence: 21x ≡ 6 (mod 45).

47.†Solve the following congruence. 20x ≡ 12 (mod 72)

48. Solve the following congruence. 25x ≡ 45 (mod 60)

49. Find the additive order of each of the following elements, by solving the appropriate
congruences.
†(a) 4, 5, 6 modulo 24
(b) 4, 5, 6 modulo 25

50. Find the additive order of each of the following elements, by solving the appropriate
congruences.
(a) 7, 8, 9 modulo 24
(b) 7, 8, 9 modulo 25

51. Find the units digit of 329 + 1112 + 15.


Hint: Choose an appropriate modulus n, and then reduce modulo n.

52. Solve the following system of congruences.

x ≡ 15 (mod 27) x ≡ 16 (mod 20)

53.†Solve the following system of congruences.

x ≡ 11 (mod 16) x ≡ 18 (mod 25)

54. Solve the following system of congruences:

x ≡ 13 (mod 25) x ≡ 9 (mod 18)


1.3 J.A.Beachy 4

55.†Solve the following system of congruences:

x ≡ 9 (mod 25) x ≡ 13 (mod 18)

56. Solve the following system of congruences.

2x ≡ 5 (mod 7) 3x ≡ 4 (mod 8)

Hint: First reduce to the usual form.

57.†Solve the following system of congruences.

2x ≡ 3 (mod 7) x ≡ 4 (mod 6) 5x ≡ 50 (mod 55)

58. Prove that if the system

x ≡ 1 (mod m) x ≡ 0 (mod n)

has a solution, then m and n are relatively prime.

59.†Use congruences to prove that 52n − 1 is divisible by 24, for all positive integers n.
Note: This is Problem 1.1.38, which at that point required a proof by induction.

60. Prove that n5 − n is divisible by 30, for all integers n.


n m
61.†Prove that if 0 < n < m, then 22 + 1 and 22 + 1 are relatively prime.

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