About Euler’s Algorithm

Say a moduler $p$, we can form a gourp $G$ by gathering around all the integers samller than $p$ that are prime to $p$. It should be a group.

Then we focus on any cosubgroup $H$, such that we can form a cyclic group $H$. The point is, any subgroup should divide the whole group by Lagrange’s theorem.

$$ siz(H) |siz(G) $$

The interesting point is, if we let $H$ to be the cyclic group of an element, say $a$.

$$ order(a)=siz(H)|siz(G) $$

We konw that $siz(G)=\phi(p)$, and also,

$$ a^{order(a)}\equiv 1 \pmod p $$

So, apparently,

$$ a^{siz(G)} \equiv 1 \pmod p \\ a^{\phi(p)} \equiv 1 \pmod p $$

There also a question asking what is the last digit of $7^{7^{7^7}}$

$$ 7^{7^{7^7}}\equiv ?\pmod {10} $$

So we know $\phi(10)=4$, the problem becomes to know

$$ 7^{7^7} \equiv ? \pmod 4 $$

So we know $\phi(4)=2$, the problem becomes to know,

$$ 7^7 \equiv ? \pmod 2 $$

It is 1.

$$ 7^1 \equiv 3 \pmod 4 $$$$ 7^3 \equiv 3 \pmod {10} $$

Proof of infinite prime with last digit of 1

So prove

$$ p \equiv 1 \pmod 5 $$

Let

$$ p | \frac{x^5-1}{x-1} = 1+x+x^2+x^3+x^4 $$

By the way this poly is called cyclotomic poly, 分圆多项式, which has a primitive 5’th roots of 1.

So $p|x^5-1$,

$$ x^5 \equiv 1 \pmod p $$

The point is, the order of $x$,

$$ order(x) | 5 $$
  1. If $order(x)=1$

    $$ x \equiv 1\pmod p $$

    Also,

    $$ 1+1+1+1+1\equiv 0 \pmod p $$

    So,

    $$ p=5 $$
  2. If $order(x)=5$

    $$ 5 | (p-1) $$

    Say,

    $$ p \equiv 1 \pmod 5 $$

Then we can apply Euler’s algorithm,

Let,

$$ p_1,p_2,...,p_k $$

be primes that $p_i\equiv 1 \pmod 5$

Let,

$$ x=5p_1p_2...p_k $$

Then any $p|(1+x+x^2+x^3+x^4)$, is nor 5 or any of $p_i$, but with the property that $p\equiv 1 \pmod 5$

Exercise

$\infty$ primes that $p \equiv 1\pmod 8$

Richard also gives a hint that using $x^4+1$

Also applying the same strategy, we get, $p=2$ or $order(x)=8$.

Then the same,

$$ x=2p_1p_2...p_k $$