OmegaLearn.org Chapter 2.

Number Theory

Theorem 2.8.6 (Lifting the exponent (LTE) for odd primes)

If
a ≡ b 6≡ 0 (mod p)
then
vp (an − bn ) = vp (a − b) + vp (n)
.
This basically means

exponent of p in an − bn = ( exponent of p in a − b) + ( exponent of p in n)

if a and b leave the same remainder when divided by p that is not 0.

Remark 2.8.7
Be very careful of the first condition that is bold! Also remember 2 doesn’t work for p in
this equation! Sometimes when we can’t directly apply LTE to our exponent, we can
modify our exponents by rewriting our exponent terms.

Theorem 2.8.8 (Lifting the exponent (LTE) for 2)

v2 (an − bn ) = v2 (a2 − b2 ) + v2 (n) − 1

This basically means

exponent of 2 in an − bn = ( exponent of 2 in a2 − b2 ) + ( exponent of p in n) − 1

Theorem 2.8.9 (Legendre’s Theorem)

$ % $ %
n n
vp (n!) = + 2 + ...
p p

This basically means the

number of factors of p in n! =

the number of multiples of p ≤ n + the number of multiples of p2 ≤ n + . . .

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