Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2015/ii/paper-1/1h/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ii Paper 1 1H Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
For an odd prime , the Legendre symbol is if , if is a nonzero square modulo , and otherwise. Euler's criterion statesIf both sides vanish. Otherwise write for a primitive root . The squares are precisely the even powers of , while has order two and therefore equals . Hence , proving the criterion and the useful special case .
For odd , . Every prime divisor of this number is odd, and , so . Euler's criterion forces , hence or . A product of such primes can be only if a prime occurs to an odd power.
Suppose the primes were . Choose the odd integer (or for an empty list). None of these primes divides , since the latter is modulo each . Yet the preceding argument gives a prime divisor , outside the list. This contradiction proves infinitely many primes congruent to modulo .
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