Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-short-options-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2017/1/a/solution
Past exam of the short options course of the University of Oxford 2017 1 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
For distinct odd primes , quadratic reciprocity statesHere the Legendre symbol records whether a nonzero congruence class is a quadratic residue. The first supplementary law for quadratic reciprocity and second supplementary law for quadratic reciprocity giveThus minus one is a square exactly when , and two is a square exactly when or .
To test the specified congruence class, factor . Since , multiplicativity of the Legendre symbol and quadratic reciprocity yieldThere is no sign change on swapping and because . Finally , so multiplicativity of the Legendre symbol gives , since . Therefore
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