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Suppose $x$ is a quadratic nonresidue. On the nonzero residue classes modulo $p$, define the involutionIt is an involution because $T(T(a))=a$. A fixed point would satisfy $a^2=x$, which is excluded by the quadratic nonresidue hypothesis. Thus it partitions the $p-1$ classes into $(p-1)/2$ disjoint pairs $\{a,x{a}^{-1}\}$, each with product $x$. ConsequentlyNow evaluate the same product by pairing every class with its own modular inverse. The only classes equal to their modular inverses solve $(a-1)(a+1)=0$ and hence are $1$ and $-1$. All other pairs have product one. The complete product is therefore $-1$, soTogether with the preceding part, this is Euler's criterion; the pairing argument establishes the converse without assuming it.

For the odd prime $p$, the Fermat-Euler theorem gives $x^{p-1}\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}p)$. Therefore the residue class $z=x^{(p-1)/2}$ obeys $(z-1)(z+1)\equiv 0(\mathrm{mod}p)$. Since a prime number dividing a product divides one of its factors,If $x$ is a quadratic residue, choose $y$ with $y^2\equiv x(\mathrm{mod}p)$. Then $y$ is nonzero modulo $p$, and Fermat's little theorem givesThis proves the quadratic residue direction of Euler's criterion.

For an odd prime $p$, the Legendre symbol $(a/p)$ is $0$ if $p\mid a$, $1$ if $a$ is a nonzero square modulo $p$, and $-1$ otherwise. Euler's criterion statesIf $p\mid a$ both sides vanish. Otherwise write $a\equiv g^j$ for a primitive root $g$. The squares are precisely the even powers of $g$, while $g^{(p-1)/2}$ has order two and therefore equals $-1$. Hence $a^{(p-1)/2}=(-1{)}^j$, proving the criterion and the useful special case $(-1/p)=(-1{)}^{(p-1)/2}$.

For odd $n$, $n^2+4\equiv 5(\mathrm{mod}8)$. Every prime divisor $p$ of this number is odd, and $p\nmid n$, so $(n/2{)}^2\equiv -1(\mathrm{mod}p)$. Euler's criterion forces $p\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}4)$, hence $p\equiv 1$ or $5(\mathrm{mod}8)$. A product of such primes can be $5(\mathrm{mod}8)$ only if a prime $5(\mathrm{mod}8)$ occurs to an odd power.

Suppose the primes $5(\mathrm{mod}8)$ were $p_1,\dots ,p_r$. Choose the odd integer $n=p_1\cdots p_r$ (or $n=1$ for an empty list). None of these primes divides $n^2+4$, since the latter is $4$ modulo each $p_i$. Yet the preceding argument gives a prime divisor $5(\mathrm{mod}8)$, outside the list. This contradiction proves infinitely many primes congruent to $5$ modulo $8$.

For an odd prime number $p$, the Legendre symbol is zero when $p\mid a$, one when $a$ is a nonzero quadratic residue modulo $p$, and minus one otherwise. The number-theoretic Gauss lemma says that, for $p\nmid a$, $(a/p)=(-1{)}^r$, where $r$ counts those least positive residues of $a,2a,\dots ,(p-1)a/2$ exceeding $p/2$.

For $a=2$, the residues are simply $2,4,\dots ,p-1$, so $r=(p-1)/2-\lfloor p/4\rfloor$. Examining the four odd residue classes modulo eight givesNow $2^m\equiv -1(\mathrm{mod}p)$ and $p$ is odd. The multiplicative order $d$ of $2$ divides $2m$ but not $m$. Since $m$ is a power of two, every proper divisor of $2m$ divides $m$, whence $d=2m$. Lagrange's theorem for finite groups gives $2m\mid p-1$. Because $m\ge 4$, this implies $p\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}8)$, so the supplementary law just proved gives $(2/p)=1$. By Euler's criterion, $2^{(p-1)/2}\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}p)$, and consequently $2m\mid (p-1)/2$. Therefore

Gauss lemma states that if $p\nmid a$ and $m$ of the least positive residues ofexceed $p/2$, then $(a/p)=(-1{)}^m$.

To prove it, replace each residue exceeding $p/2$ by its negative, obtaining numbers $r_1,\dots ,r_{(p-1)/2}$ in $\{1,\dots ,(p-1)/2\}$. No two of them are equal modulo $p$: such an equality would give $ia\equiv \pm ja(\mathrm{mod}p)$, hence $i=j$ in the allowed range. They therefore permute $1,\dots ,(p-1)/2$, and multiplication givesCancel the nonzero factorial and apply Euler's criterion to obtain the lemma.

For $a=-1$, all $(p-1)/2$ least positive residues $p-1,p-2,\dots ,(p+1)/2$ exceed $p/2$. Hence the first supplementary law for quadratic reciprocity is

Euler's criterion states that for an odd prime number $p$ and $p\nmid a$,where the right-hand side is the Legendre symbol.

Let $g$ be a primitive root modulo $p$. Its multiplicative order is $p-1$, so $g^{(p-1)/2}\ne 1$. This power has square $g^{p-1}=1$, and the only roots of $X^2-1$ modulo the odd prime $p$ are $\pm 1$. ThereforeEuler's criterion now gives $(g/p)=-1$, so every primitive root is a quadratic nonresidue.

Now let $p=2^{2^k}+1$ be a Fermat prime, with $k\ge 1$. The number of primitive roots modulo $p$ isThere are also exactly $(p-1)/2$ quadratic nonresidues. Since every primitive root is a nonresidue, these equally large sets coincide. Thus every quadratic nonresidue modulo $p$ is a primitive root, as summarized by Quadratic nonresidues modulo a Fermat prime.

Finally, $p\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}4)$ and $p\equiv 2(\mathrm{mod}3)$. Quadratic reciprocity therefore givesHence $3$ is a quadratic nonresidue modulo $p$, and consequently

The Solovay-Strassen primality test samples unit bases and rejects an odd candidate as composite when it finds an Euler witness. Every prime passes every base by Euler's criterion, while an odd composite passes a random base with probability at most one half.