MA257

Introduction to Number Theory

2016

EXERCISE SHEET 5
P
* Exercise 5-1. Find the p-adic expansion n=0 an pn of the following rational numbers:
(i) 2/3 in Z2 ;
(ii) 1/6 in Z7 ;
(iii) 1/10 in Z11 ;
(iv) 9/16 in Z3 .
In each case, find at least the first five p-adic digits an , guess the recurring pattern and verify your guess by
summing the series. [Hint: find x5 by solving a suitable congruence modulo p5 and write x5 in base p as
P4
x5 = n=0 an pn .]
* Exercise 5-2.(a) Solve each of the following congruences. (Each modulus is of the form p2 for a prime p; you
should first solve them for x1 modulo p and then solve for y such that x2 = x1 + py is a solution modulo p2 .)
(i) x2 89

(mod 121);

(ii) x2 128
2

(b) Find a solution to the congruence x 11

* Exercise 5-3.

(iii) x2 439

(mod 289);

(mod 529).

(mod 5 ) for each k 5.

Let x = 22/7 Q.

(a) Find ordp (x) for all primes p.

(b) Hence determine |x|p for all primes p.
(c) Hence determine for which primes p the geometric series 1 + x + x2 + x3 + . . . converges in Qp .
What is the sum of the series when it does converge?
* Exercise 5-4.

Let p be an odd prime.

(a) Let x, y Z. Show that x y

(mod pk ) xp y p

(mod pk+1 ).
k1

(b) Let a be an integer not divisible by p. For k 1 set xk = ap

(so the sequence (xk ) starts a, ap , ap ,
p3
a , . . .). Show that the sequence is coherent and thus determines a p-adic integer which satisfies p1 = 1
and a (mod p). (This gives an explicit construction of the solutions to X p1 = 1 in Qp , whose existence
also follows from Hensels Lemma.)
(c)
Taking p = 5 and a = 2, find the first six terms in a reduced coherent sequence defining a 4th root of unity
(i.e., 1) in Z5 , and its first six 5-adic digits.
Exercise 5-5.(a) Let p be a prime. Show that x 0 and x 1 are the only solutions to x2 x (mod pn ).
Deduce that the congruence x2 x (mod 10n ) has four solutions modulo 10n , namely x 0, x 1 and two
others. Find these others for n = 1, 2, 3, 4. Hence find all possible four-digit numbers n such that n2 and n end
in the same four digits. Repeat with 5 digits, 6 digits, . . ..

Solutions for marking (exercises marked * only) due in by 2pm Friday 18/3/16

JEC, 9/3/16