MATH2222 HOMEWORK 6

ISAAC LEONG

Collaboration Statement
Because I started very early for this assignment, I, unfortunately, did not have a chance to discuss
and collaborate with others in the class. I finished this assignment with all the questions on my own.
However, I discussed question 1 and question 2 with Nicholas for some clarification on what is required
for question 1 and whether the case n = 1 and n = −1 should be considered for question 2.

Date: April 2023.

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2 ISAAC LEONG

Question 1
(a). Let ak ..a0 be the base 10 representation of n. We can determine whether n is divisible by treating
n as X
n= ai 10i
i
and reducing the powers of 10 modulo 7. Apply this to check whether 7 divides 535801.

535801 ≡ 5 · 105 + 3 · 104 + 5 · 103 + 8 · 102 + 1(mod 7)

≡ 5 · 35 + 3 · 32 · 32 + 5 · 33 + 32 + 1(mod 7)
≡ 5 · 2 · 2 · 3 + 3 · 4 + 2 + 2 + 1(mod7) ≡ 7 + 12 + 2(mod 7) ≡ 0(mod 7)
Therefore, 7 divides 535801.
(b). Proof of Sufficiency: Assume 7 divides f (n), then
k
X
f (n) ≡ ai 10i−1 − 2a0 ≡ 0(mod7)
i=1
Pk i
Then, this implies that i=1 ai 10 − 20a0 ≡ 0(mod 7). However, −20 ≡ (−1)(−1) ≡ 1(mod 7).
k
X k
X k
X
i i
Therefore, ai 10 − 20a0 ≡ ai 10 + a0 ≡ ai 10i ≡ n ≡ 0(mod 7). Therefore, if 7 divides f (n),
i=1 i=1 i=0
then 7 divides n. ■
Proof of necessity: Assume 7 divides n, then using the expansion outlined in (a),
k
X k
X k
X
n≡ ai 10i ≡ ai 10i + a0 ≡ ai 10i − 20a0 ≡ 0(mod 7)
i=0 i=1 i=1
Then, multiply both sides by 5,
k
X k
X
ai 10i−1 · 50 − 2 · 50a0 ≡ ai 10i−1 − 2a0 ≡ f (n) ≡ 0(mod 7)
i=1 i=1
This shows that if 7 divides n, then 7 divides f (n).

In conclusion, 7 divides f (n) if and only if 7 divides n.

Then, 7 divides 535801 if and only if 7 divides 53580 - 2 = 53578. And, this number is divisible by
7 if and only if 7 divides 53578. And equivalently 5357 − 16 = 5341, and 534 − 2 = 532. And finally,
53 − 4 = 49 = 7 × 7. Therefore, 7 divides 535801.
 MATH2222 HOMEWORK 6 3

Question 2
Consider f : Zn −→ Zn , f (x) = x2 . For which n is f bijective?

First, obviously when n = 1 or n = −1, it is a bijection since Z1 = Z−1 = {0}, which is a single
element set with the single element zero. Therefore, f (x) ≡ x2 ≡ 0 (mod 1).
Now, assuming n ̸= 1 and n ̸= −1, consider 1 and n − 1 in Zn . Note that f (n − 1) ≡ (n − 1)2 ≡
n − 2n + 1 ≡ 1 ≡ 12 ≡ f (1) (mod n). Therefore, in order that f is injective, it requires that n − 1 = 1,
2

which is n = 2.
To check that f is bijective from Z2 to Z2 , just check that for the two elements in Z2 , {0, 1}, function
f is bijective. Since f (0) = 0 and f (1) = 1, therefore, this shows that f is indeed bijective.
Therefore, f is only a bijection for n = 1 or n = 2
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4 ISAAC LEONG

Question 3
1500 soldiers arrive in training camp. Some number of soldiers desert the camp. The drill sergeants
divide the remaining soldiers into groups of five and find one soldier left over. When they divide them
into groups of seven there are three left over; when they divide them into groups of 11 there are again
three left over. Determine the number of deserters.
First, the following system of modulo equations can be obtained from the question.
x ≡ 1(mod 5)
x ≡ 3(mod 7)
x ≡ 3(mod 11)

Then, from the proof for existence of roots in Monday’s lecture, this methods is implied when the
root is constructed. First take N = 5 · 7 · 11 and N1 = 7 · 11, N2 = 5 · 11 and N3 = 5 · 7. Then, we need
to find a set of values, s1 , s2 , s3 such that s1 N1 ≡ 1(mod 5), s2 N2 ≡ 1(mod 7), and s3 N3 ≡ 1(mod 11).
Then the solutions to the system of the equation would be x ≡ s1 N1 + 3s2 N2 + 3s3 N3 (mod 5 · 7 · 11)
Then, by trying different numbers in the finite field of modulo 5, 7 and 11 (they form a finite field
because they are prime numbers), s1 = 3, s2 = 6 and s3 = 6. Therefore, the number 1 × 77 × 3 + 3 ×
55 × 6 + 3 × 55 × 66 = 1851 is a solution to the system of equations. Also, as proven in class, this add
any integer multiple of N = 5 × 7 × 11 = 385 will be a solution. Therefore, all the possible solutions
for the number of soldiers in the training camp are 311, 696, 1081, and 1466. Therefore, the possible
numbers of deserters are, 34, 419, 804, and 1189. However, since the number of soldiers deserted is less
than 100, therefore, the only possible solution is 34.
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