Scribd
Upload
232 views

Modular Arithmetic and Divisibility

The document discusses modular arithmetic and divisibility in number theory. It defines concepts like divisibility, the Euclidean algorithm, relatively prime numbers, prime numbers, and modular arithmetic. It then provides 15 problems applying these concepts, such as using modular arithmetic to show properties of divisibility by 3 and 9, finding greatest common divisors, computing remainders, and solving divisibility-related word problems.

Uploaded by

sher
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
232 views

Modular Arithmetic and Divisibility

The document discusses modular arithmetic and divisibility in number theory. It defines concepts like divisibility, the Euclidean algorithm, relatively prime numbers, prime numbers, and modular arithmetic. It then provides 15 problems applying these concepts, such as using modular arithmetic to show properties of divisibility by 3 and 9, finding greatest common divisors, computing remainders, and solving divisibility-related word problems.

Uploaded by

sher
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Modular Arithmetic and Divisibility

Number Theory
Annie Xu and Emily Zhu
September 11, 2016

1 Introduction

Definition 1 (Divisibility). An integer a is said to be divisible by some nonzero integer b if there


exists an integer c such that a = bc. Alternatively, for b 6= 0, ab is an integer.
Definition 2 (Euclidean Algorithm). Given integers a, b, the series of divisors q1 , q2 , . . . such that
a = bq1 + q2 , b = q2 q3 + q4 , q2 = q4 q5 + q6 , . . . (see example). The final value (when the other is 0)
gives gcd(a, b), i.e. the greatest common divisor of a and b.
Example 3. Find gcd(126, 224).

Solution.

gcd(126, 224) = gcd(126, 224 − 126) 224 = 1 × 126 + 98


gcd(126, 98) = gcd(98, 126 − 98) 126 = 1 × 98 + 28
gcd(98, 28) = gcd(28, 98 − 3 · 28) 98 = 3 × 28 + 14
gcd(28, 14) = gcd(14, 28 − 2 · 14) 28 = 2 × 14 + 0
= gcd(14, 0)

Thus, gcd(126, 224) = 14 .


Definition 4 (Relatively Prime). Given integers a, b, they are called relatively prime or coprime
if gcd(a, b) = 1.
Definition 5 (Prime). An integer p is called prime if when p divides a product ab (where a, b are
integers), then p divides a or p divides b. Equivalently p is prime if p = ab (where a, b are integers),
then either a = 1 or b = 1.
Theorem 6 (Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic). Every nonzero integer can be written uniquely
(up to order) as a product of primes.
Definition 7 (Modular Arithmetic). Given integers a, b, c, b 6= 0, a ≡ c (mod b) if b divides (a−c).
Example 8.

5 ≡ 2 (mod 3) 17 ≡ 12068357 (mod 10) 54 ≡ 42 ≡ 0 (mod 6)


2 6≡ 1 (mod 3) 4 + 1 ≡ 29 + 6 (mod 5) 3 × −1 ≡ 19 × 15 (mod 8)

2 Problems
1. Using modular arithmetic, show that 3 divides n if and only if 3 divides the sum of the digits
of n. Do the same for 9. Can you find something similar for 11?

1
2. Find gcd(221, 299) and gcd(2520, 399).

3. Compute the remainder when 333 + 999 and 3333 × 7777 are divided by 5.

4. How many steps does it take the Euclidean Algorithm to reach (1, 0) when the input is
(n + 1, n)?1

5. Let n be a positive integer. Construct a set of n consecutive positive integers that are not
prime.1

6. Find all positive integers n such that (n + 1) divides (n2 + 1).2

7. Find all primes in the form n3 − 1.2

8. What is the largest positive integer n for which (n + 10) divides n3 + 100?3

. . 1} is composite.2
9. Show that |1 .{z
91 ones

10. A year is a leap year if and only if the year number is divisible by 400 (such as 2000) or
is divisible by 4 but not 100 (such as 2012). The 200th anniversary of the birth of novelist
Charles Dickens was celebrated on February 7, 2012, a Tuesday. On what day of the week
was Dickens born?4

11. What is the largest prime factor of 7999488?5

12. An n-digit number is cute if its n digits are an arrangement of the set {1, 2, . . . , n} and its
first k digits form an integer that is divisible by k, for k = 1, 2, . . . , n. For example, 321 is
a cute 3-digit integer because 1 divides 3, 2 divides 32 and 3 divides 321. How many cute
6-digit numbers are there?6

13. An old receipt has faded. It reads 88 chickens at the total of $x4.2y, where x and y are
unreadable digits. How much did each chicken cost?2
n n
14. Find the smallest positive integer such that 2 is a square and 3 is a cube.2

15. How many primes have alternating 1s and 0s in base 10 (like 101)?7
a 1 1 1 1 1
16. If a, b ∈ N such that b =1− 2 + 3 − 4 + ··· − 1318 + 1319 , show that 1979 divides a.8

1
From Mathematical Thinking by John P. D’Angelo and Douglas B. West
2
From Number Theory for Mathematical Contests by David A. Santos
3
From AIME 1986
4
AMC 10/12A 2012
5
PUMaC 2011
6
AHSME 1991
7
Putnam 1989
8
IMO 1979

You might also like