Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 2 1I Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
If the positive odd integer has prime factorizationits Jacobi symbol iswhere each factor is a Legendre symbol; by convention . Thus the symbol is zero exactly when .
The quadratic reciprocity law for the Jacobi symbol says that for coprime positive odd integers ,To prove it, write and . The quadratic reciprocity law for distinct odd primes statesMultiplying this identity over with multiplicities gives the required product of Jacobi symbols. Its sign exponent modulo two isbecause multiplication of odd integers adds the quantities modulo two. This proves the law.
For the requested value, two applications of reciprocity givesince , , and is a quadratic nonresidue modulo .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 3 1H Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Let be the unit group of residue classes modulo , and partition it into the set of bases satisfying the displayed congruence and the set of Euler witnesses that do not. If , multiplication by maps injectively into : indeed, if and also lay in , then the multiplicativity of the Jacobi symbol would giveCancelling the invertible congruence for would say that , a contradiction. Hence , so at least half of the coprime bases are witnesses.
It remains to construct one witness for every odd composite number . If is not squarefree, choose an odd prime number with . The Chinese remainder theorem gives a unit such that for the full power and modulo every other prime-power factor. The binomial theorem givesSince , this is neither nor modulo , whereas the Jacobi symbol is always or . Thus is a witness.
If is squarefree and composite, choose distinct primes . By the Chinese remainder theorem, choose to be a quadratic nonresidue modulo and to satisfy modulo every other prime divisor of . Then , while , so the Euler congruence again fails. This proves the existence of an Euler witness for every odd composite integer.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 3 1F Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-10-03
Write with odd primes . The Jacobi symbol iswhere each factor on the right is a Legendre symbol. The supplementary law isFor coprime positive odd , quadratic reciprocity givesApplying this with givesFinally, factor with odd. The supplementary laws for and , followed by reciprocity on every odd prime factor of , express solely in terms of the residue class of the positive odd integer modulo when or . If , all those factors, including the zero cases, agree; hence