Olympiad Workshop_Lecture-4_IOQM

Solution

1. Solution smaller thus n = 48 is the smallest number such

Consider the formula for (n). If p1a1 p2a2 ... prar , then that (n) = 10.
4. Solution
(n) = (1 + a1)(1 + a2) … (1 + ar)
Suppose that (n) = 10. As above this could be
n is a square if an only if all the ai are even. Also
solved by the multiplicativity of (n) and
(n) is odd if and only if all the divisors are odd,
comparing prime factors. But we also have that
that is if all the ai are even. We conclude that n is
(n) > n, thus (n) = 10 can happen only for
a square if an only if t(n) is even.
2. Solution n < 10. It is easy to check that (n)  10 for n = 1,

Consider the formula for (n). we have 2, …, 9.

5. Fix and integer k and consider the function
     
  n    p1a1  p2a2 ...  prar
f(n) = nk. We have in fact

For (n) to be odd, all the   p  have to be odd. f(mn) = (mn)k = mknk = f(m)f(n)
a1
i
For all integers m, n. In particular, this hold for m,
We that
n relatively prime, showing that f(n) is
    1 p  p
pia1 i
2
i  ...  piai  multiplicative.
6. Solution
Is odd if an only if ai is even except if pi = 2 in
which case it is always odd. Thus all odd prime a 
Let a and b > 0 be integers and let r  a    b .
b
divisors must come with even exponents, while 2
Since it is explicity defined it is unique. The
can have any exponent. We conclude that (n) is
greatest integer function satisfies
odd if an only if n is a square of twice a square.
a a  a
3. Solution 1    
b b  b
Let n be a positive integer satisfying (n) = 10. If
Multiply this with –b and a to all sides. So we find
a a
n  p1 1 p2 2 ...prar , then
that r satisfies
(n) = (1 + a1)(1 + a2) … (1 + ar) a  a  a
a    1 b  a   b  a  b
Since 10 = 2.5 has exactly two prime factors, we b  b b
see that n can have at most two prime factors b > r  0.
(else it would have to many factors). From this we 7. Solution
have the two following possibilities of n : This is done by the formula proven in the test
n = p9 which states that for a prime p the (greatest)
n= pq4 exponent for which divides pk divides n! given by
For prime p, q. The smallest number for which  
n
k   i 
(n) = 10 of the first form is 29 and of the second
i 1  p 
form is 3.24. It is readily seen that the other is

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Using this for n = 1000 and p = 5, we find that the p > n, it cannot get divided out by the
highest power of 5 dividing 1000! Is denominator. The numbers divisible by p are
1000   1000  1000  1000  in order p, 2p, 3p, 4p, … But since p > n, one
 5    25    25    625 
        has that 2p > 2n
 200  40  8  1  249 Thus no multiple of p other than p itself
Similarly, for n = 2000 and p = 7, the highest  2n !
appears in (2n)!. This shows that is
power of 7 dividing 2000 is  n ! 2
 2000   2000   2000  divisible by exactly the first power of such a
 7    49    343   285  40  5  330
      prime p.
8. Solution 9. Solution
(a) The text book theorem states that binomial To determine the day of the week of your birth,
coefficients are integers. Now notice that calculate
 2n !  2n !  2n  y  c 
   d   2.6m  0.2  2c  y      
 n ! n !  2n  n !  n 
2
 4  4
This proves the expression is an integer Where
(b) The exponent of the highest power of p  d is the ordinal value of the day in the month

 2n ! (starting from)
dividing will be the exponent of p in
 n ! 2  m is the ordinal value of the month (starting
with March and m = 1 up to February with m
(2n)! minus the exponent of (n!)2. The
= 12)
exponent of p in (2n)! is

 y, c are positive integers such Y = 100c + y.
 2n 
 p  If the month is January of February, then
k 1  
subtract 1 from Y.
While the exponent of p in (n!)2 is twice the
Take the remainder of this number mod 7. The
value of
final number represents the day of the week with

n 
p Sunday being 0, Monday 1 etc.
k 1  
10. Solution
Finally taking the difference of the two we find
(a) To find the order of an element one can just
the exponent of the highest power of p
take successive powers of the element. Also the
 2n ! order must divide f(n). For n = 17 one has f(n) =
dividing it is
 n ! 2 16 and so the possible orders are divisors of 16.
     2n 
n  n  n  22  4 (mod 17)
  p    p    p   2 p
k 1   k 1   k 1     24  16  –1 (mod 17)
(c) Let p be a prime between n and 2n and 28  1 (mod 17)
 2n ! 32  9 (mod 17)
consider the exponent of p in . Since
 n ! 2 34  81  –4 (mod 17)

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38  16 (mod 17) And so the order of 2 modulo 17 is strictly smaller

316  1 (mod 17) than (17) = 16. Therefore 2 is not primitive root
52  8 (mod 17) modulo 17.

54  64  –4 (mod 17) 13. Solution

58  16  –1 (mod 17) Let p > 5 be prime. Let Rn be the smallest repunit

for which p | Rn. Recall that a repunit is of the
516  1 (mod 17)
form
11. Solution
?
Let a have order 3 modulo and odd prime p. Then
Since p > 5 it is not equal to 3 and so the two
a3  1 (mod p) 
condgruences
(a – 1)(a2 + a + 1)  0 (mod p)
Rn  0 (mod p) 
Since a has order 3, it can’t be that a  1 (mod p).
9Rn  0 (mod p)
Thus
Are equivalent Plugging in Rn, we find that p | Rn
a2 + a + 1  0 (mod p) 
is equivalent to
(a + 1)2  a(mod p)
10n  1 (mod p)
Now note that (a + 1)3  a2 + a  –1 (mod p)
Since n is the smallest integer for which the
(a + 1)3  a2 + a  –1 (mod p)
above congruence occurs i.e., it is the order of 10
(a + 1)6  1 (mod p)
modulo p. The order of any element divides
The order a + 1 must divide 6. Since the order
(p) = p – 1 and we conclude n | p – 1.
isn’t 2 or 3, we conclude that the order of a + 1 is
14. Solution
6, as was to be shown.
One can look up (or calculate) that 2 is a primitive
12. Solution
root modulo 13. We calculate the powers of 2 to
A number a is a primitive root modulo n if its
find
powers span a reduced set of residues mod n i.e.,
21  2 25  6 29  5
if the order of a is (n). For n = 19 we have (19)
22  4 26  12 210  10
= 18, so the possible orders are 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18.
23  8 27  11 211  7
Note that if the order is not 18, then it must divide
24  3 28  9 212  1
18 18
either  9 or  6 . But The primitive roots are given as powers of any
2 3
primitive root with exponent relatively prime to
26  7 (mod 19)
(13) = 12. Therefore the primitive roots modulo
29  –1 (mod 19)
13 are 2, 6, 11, 7.
We conclude that the order of 2 modulo 19 must
15. Solution
be (19) = 18 and therefore 2 is a primitive root
Let us first construct a table of indices modulo 11
as was already checked, we have that
for some primitive root. It is found that 2 is a
28  (16)2  1 (mod 17)
primitive root and its powers are
21  2 26  9
22  4 27  7

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23  8 28  3 And so the table of indices is

24  5 29  6
25  10 210  1



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