Congruences 41

Solution: 62 ≡ −1 mod 37. Thus

61987 ≡ 6 · 61986 ≡ 6(62 )993 ≡ 6(−1)993 ≡ −6 ≡ 31 mod 37

and the remainder sought is 31.

274 Example Find the remainder when

12233 · 455679 + 876533
is divided by 4.

Solution: 12233 = 12200 + 32 + 1 ≡ 1 mod 4. Similarly, 455679 = 455600 + 76 + 3 ≡ 3, 87653 = 87600 + 52 + 1 ≡ 1

mod 4. Thus
12233 · 455679 + 876533 ≡ 1 · 3 + 13 ≡ 4 ≡ 0 mod 4.
This means that 12233 · 455679 + 876533 is divisible by 4.

275 Example Prove that 7 divides 32n+1 + 2n+2 for all natural numbers n.

Solution: Observe that

32n+1 ≡ 3 · 9n ≡ 3 · 2n mod 7
and
2n+2 ≡ 4 · 2n mod 7
. Hence
32n+1 + 2n+2 ≡ 7 · 2n ≡ 0 mod 7,
for all natural numbers n.

276 Example Prove the following result of Euler: 641|(232 + 1).

Solution: Observe that 641 = 27 · 5 + 1 = 24 + 54. Hence 27 · 5 ≡ −1 mod 641 and 54 ≡ −24 mod 641. Now, 27 · 5 ≡ −1
mod 641 yields
54 · 228 = (5 · 27)4 ≡ (−1)4 ≡ 1 mod 641.
This last congruence and
54 ≡ −24 mod 641
yield
−24 · 228 ≡ 1 mod 641,
which means that 641|(232 + 1).

277 Example Prove that 7|(22225555 + 55552222).

Solution: 2222 ≡ 3 mod 7, 5555 ≡ 4 mod 7 and 35 ≡ 5 mod 7. Now

22225555 + 55552222 ≡ 35555 + 42222 ≡ (35 )1111 + (42 )1111 ≡ 51111 − 51111 ≡ 0 mod 7.

7
278 Example Find the units digit of 77 .

7
Solution: We must find 77 mod 10. Now, 72 ≡ −1 mod 10, and so 73 ≡ 72 · 7 ≡ −7 ≡ 3 mod 10 and 74 ≡ (72 )2 ≡ 1 mod
10. Also, 72 ≡ 1 mod 4 and so 77 ≡ (72 )3 · 7 ≡ 3 mod 4, which means that there is an integer t such that 77 = 3 + 4t. Upon
assembling all this,
7
77 ≡ 74t+3 ≡ (74 )t · 73 ≡ 1t · 3 ≡ 3 mod 10.
Thus the last digit is 3.