1.

J.A.Beachy

1.2

Primes
from A Study Guide for Beginners by J.A.Beachy, a supplement to Abstract Algebra by Beachy / Blair

26. (a) Use the Euclidean algorithm to nd gcd(1776, 1492). Solution: We have 1776 = 1492 1 + 284; 284 = 72 3 + 68; 72 = 68 1 + 4; 1492 = 284 5 + 72;

68 = 4 17. Thus gcd(1776, 1492) = 4.

(b) Use the prime factorizations of 1776 and 1492 to nd gcd(1776, 1492). Solution: Since 1776 = 24 3 37 and 1492 = 22 373, Proposition 1.2.10 shows that gcd(1776, 1492) = 22 . Showing that 373 is prime takes a bit of work. You need to check that it is not divisible by any prime number smaller than 373 19.3. 27. (a) Use the Euclidean algorithm to nd gcd(1274, 1089). Solution: We have 1274 = 1089 1 + 185; 185 = 164 1 + 21; 164 = 21 7 + 17; Thus gcd(1274, 1089) = 1. (b) Use the prime factorizations of 1274 and 1089 to nd gcd(1274, 1089). Solution: Since 1274 = 2 72 13 and 1089 = 32 112 , we see that 1274 and 1089 are relatively prime. 28. Give the diagram of all divisors of 250. Do the same for 484. Solution: The prime factorizations are 250 = 2 53 and 484 = 22 112 . In each diagram, we need to use one axis for each prime. Then we can just divide (successively) by the prime, to give the factors along the corresponding axis. For example, dividing 250 repeatedly by 5 produces 50, 10, and 2. These numbers go along one side of the rectangular diagram. Divide each of these by 2 to get the opposite side of the diagram. 1089 = 185 5 + 164; 17 = 4 4 + 1.

21 = 17 1 + 4;

250

50

125 121

484

242

10

25

44

22

11

29. Find all integer solutions of the equation xy + 2y 3x = 25.

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Solution: If we had a product, we could use the prime factorization theorem. That motivates one possible method of solution. xy + 2y 3x = 25

(x + 2)y 3(x + 2) = 19 (x + 2)(y 3) = 19

(x + 2)y 3x 6 = 25 6

(x + 2)y 3x = 25

Now since 19 is prime, the only way it can be factored is to have 1 19 = 19 or (1) (19) = 19. Therefore we have 4 possibilities: x + 2 = 1, x + 2 = 1, x + 2 = 19, or x + 2 = 19. For each of these values there is a corresponding value for y , since the complementary factor must be equal to y 3. Listing the solutions as ordered pairs (x, y ), we have the four solutions (1, 22), (3, 16), (17, 4), and (21, 2). 30. Let a, b, c be nonzero integers. Prove that if b | a and c | a and gcd(b, c) = d, then bc | ad. Note: This extends Proposition 1.2.3 (c). Comment: Try to nd an expression for ad that has bc as a factor. Solution: Assume that b | a and c | a, so that a = bp and a = cq for some p, q Z. We can also write d = mb + nc, for some m, n Z . Then ad = mba + nca = mb(cq ) + nc(bp) = (mp + nq )(bc), so bc | ad. 31. For positive integers a, b, c, prove that if gcd(a, b) = 1 and c | b, then gcd(a, c) = 1. Solution: To help you see why this is a consequence of Proposition 1.2.3 (d), rewrite that proposition to say that gcd(x, y ) = 1 and gcd(x, z ) = 1 if and only if gcd(x, yz ) = 1. Write b = cq for some integer q . If we let x = a, y = c, and z = q , then gcd(a, b) = 1 means that gcd(a, cq ) = 1. Using Proposition 1.2.3 (d), this implies that gcd(a, c) = 1.

32. For positive integers a, b, prove that gcd(a, b) = 1 if and only if gcd(a2 , b2 ) = 1. Solution: Proposition 1.2.3 (d) states that gcd(a, bc) = 1 if and only if gcd(a, b) = 1 and gcd(a, c) = 1. Using c = b gives gcd(a, b2 ) = 1 if and only if gcd(a, b) = 1. Then a similar argument yields gcd(a2 , b2 ) = 1 if and only if gcd(a, b2 ) = 1. Alternate Solution: It is also possible to use Proposition 1.2.10, which shows that gcd(a, b) = 1 if and only if a and b have no prime divisors in common. By Euclids lemma, this happens if and only if a2 and b2 have no prime divisors in common, and this is equivalent to gcd(a2 , b2 ) = 1. 33. Prove that n 1 and 2n 1 are relatively prime, for all integers n > 1. Is the same true for 2n 1 and 3n 1? Solution: Since (1)(2n 1) + (2)(n 1) = 1, we have gcd(2n 1, n 1) = 1. Similarly, (2)(3n 1) + (3)(2n 1) = 1, and so gcd(3n 1, 2n 1) = 1.

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Comment: Is this really a proof? Yesproducing the necessary linear combinations is enough; you dont have to explain how you found them. If this proof just looks like a trick, thats because it probably is. Maybe there is a bit of justication, in trying to nd a linear combination that eliminates the variable n, and you might still ask if there is a general principle involved here. 34. Let m and n be positive integers. Prove that gcd(2m 1, 2n 1) = 1 if and only if gcd(m, n) = 1. Comment: We need to do the proof in gcd(m, n) = 1, then gcd(2m 1, 2n 1) which states that if gcd(2m 1, 2n 1) = verse, we will use a proof by contradiction, that this forces gcd(2m 1, 2n 1) = 1. two parts. First, we will prove that if = 1. Then we will prove the converse, 1, then gcd(m, n) = 1, To prove the conassuming that gcd(m, n) = 1 and showing

Before beginning the proof, remember (from calculus, if not from high school algebra) that xk 1 = (x 1)(xk1 + xk2 + + x + 1) holds for all values of x:

Solution: If gcd(m, n) = 1, then there exist a, b Z with am + bn = 1. Substituting x = 2m and k = a in the identity given above in the comment shows that 2m 1 is a factor of 2am 1, say 2am 1 = (2m 1)(s), for some s Z. The same argument shows that we can write 2bn 1 = (2n 1)(t), for some t Z. The proof now involves what may look like a trick (but this time it is a useful one). We have 1 = 21 1 = 2am+bn 2bn + 2bn 1 = 2bn (2am 1) + 2bn 1 = 2bn (s)(2m 1) + (t)(2n 1)

If gcd(m, n) = 1, say gcd(m, n) = d, then there exist p, q Z with m = dq and n = dp. But then an argument similar to the one given for the rst part shows that 2d 1 is a common divisor of 2dq 1 and 2dp 1. Therefore gcd(2m 1, 2n 1) = 1, and this completes the proof. 35. Prove that gcd(2n2 + 4n 3, 2n2 + 6n 4) = 1, for all integers n > 1.

and so we have found a linear combination of 2m 1 and 2n 1 that equals 1, which proves that gcd(2m 1, 2n 1) = 1.

Solution: We can use the Euclidean algorithm. Long division of polynomials shows that dividing 2n2 + 6n 4 by 2n2 + 4n 3 gives a quotient of 1 and a remainder of 2n 1. The next step is to divide 2n2 + 4n 3 by 2n 1, and this gives a quotient of n + 2 and a remainder of n 1. This argument shows that gcd(2n2 + 6n 4, 2n2 + 4n 3) = gcd(2n2 + 4n 3, 2n 1) = gcd(2n 1, n 1)

and so we can use Problem 33 to conclude that 2n2 + 4n 3 and 2n2 + 6n 4 are relatively prime since 2n 1 and n 1 are relatively prime. Comment: You could also continue on with the Euclidean algorithm, to obtain gcd(2n 1, n 1) = gcd(n 2, 1) = 1.

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36. Prove that if m and n are odd integers, then m2 n2 is divisible by 8. (Compare Problem 1.1.26.) Solution: Since m, n are odd, we can write m = 2k + 1 and n = 2q + 1, for some integers k and q . Then m2 n2 = (2k + 1 + 2q + 1)(2k + 1 2q 1) = (4)(k + q + 1)(k q ) . Now we need to take two cases. If k q is even, then k q has 2 as a factor, say k q = 2p, for some integer p. Substituting for k q gives us m2 n2 = (4)(k + q + 1)(2p) = (8)(k + q + 1)(p) . If k q is odd, then k + q = (k q ) + (2q ) is the sum of an odd integer and an even integer, so it must also be odd. That means that k + q + 1 is even, so it has 2 as a factor. Now we can suppose that k + q + 1 = 2t, for some integer t. In this case, substituting for k + q + 1 gives us Showing that we can factor 8 out of m2 n2 gives exactly what we were to prove: if m and n are odd, then m2 n2 is divisible by 8. m2 n2 = (4)(2t)(k q ) = (8)(t)(k q ) .

Comment: There is a more elegant solution in 1.3, which can be given after some new techniques have been developed. (See Problem 1.3.41.) ANSWERS AND HINTS

39. Find the prime factorizations of 5917 and 4331 and use them to nd gcd(5917, 4331). Answer: 5917 = 61 97, 4331 = 61 71, gcd(5917, 4331) = 61

38. Find the prime factorizations of 475 and 385 and use them to compute the greatest common divisor and least common multiple of 475 and 385. Answer: 475 = 52 19, 385 = 5 7 11, gcd(475, 385) = 5, lcm[475, 385] = 52 7 11 19 = 36, 575

37. Find the prime factorizations of 252 and 180 and use them to compute the greatest common divisor and least common multiple of 252 and 180. Answer: 252 = 22 32 7, 180 = 22 32 5 gcd(252, 180) = 22 32 = 36, lcm[252, 180] = 22 32 5 7 = 1260

42. Show that gcd(11n + 5, 7n + 3) is 2 if n is odd and 1 if n is even. Hint: Use the Euclidean algorithm to show that gcd(11n + 5, 7n + 3) = gcd(n + 1, 2n). (See the solution to Problem 35.) 43. Find all positive integer solutions x, y of the equation xy + 5x 8y = 79. Answer: The positive solutions are x = 9, y = 34 and x = 11, y = 8. Hint: See the solution to Problem 29. 45. Part (b): Let a, b, c be positive integers. Prove or disprove that if gcd(b, c) = 1, then gcd(a, bc) = gcd(ab, c). Hint: Look for a counterexample.

46. Part (b): Let a, b, c be positive integers with a2 + b2 = c2 . Does gcd(a, b) = gcd(a, c)? Answer: Yes. Hint: Look at the common prime divisors of a, b, c.