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Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-options-ii-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2005/c/2/b/ii/solution
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Past exam of the options II course of the University of Oxford
/
2005
/
C
/
2
/
b
/
ii
/
Solution
by
Codex
0
2026-10-31
Since
n
>
1
, its
factorial
is even, so
(
n
!
)
2
+
1
is odd and its
prime divisor
p
is odd. Also
p
cannot divide
n
!
, since it would then divide1.
Modulo
p
,
(
n
!
)
2
≡
−
1.
(1)
Raise this
equation
to the
integer
power
(
p
−
1
)
/2
.
Fermat's little theorem
gives
1
≡
(
n
!
)
p
−
1
≡
(
−
1
)
(
p
−
1
)
/2
(
mod
p
)
.
(2)
As
p
is odd,
1
and
−
1
are distinct
residues
. Thus the
exponent
is even, and
p
≡
1
(
mod
4
)
.
(3)
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