Number Theory

Sandeep Kumar
sandeep_kumar@sbs.du.ac.in

Shaheed Bhagat Singh College

(University of Delhi)

Sandeep Kumar (SBSC, DU)

Introduction

1 / 10

Ramanujan Perfect Square

Sandeep Kumar (SBSC, DU)

Introduction

2 / 10

First Principle of Finite Induction

Let S be a set of positive integers with the following properties:

1

The integer 1 S.

Whenever k S = k + 1 S.

Then S is the set of all positive integers.

Well Ordering Principle: If S is a non-empty set of non negative integers
then S has a least element, i.e. c S such that c xx S.

Sandeep Kumar (SBSC, DU)

Introduction

3 / 10

Divisibility

Def: If a, b Z, a 6= 0 then a divides b, written as a|b, if there exist

q Z, such that b = aq.
Properties: for all a, b, c Z
1

a|0, a|a, 1|a.

a|b and b|c = a|c.

If a|b and c|d then ac|bd.

If a|b and b|a iff a = b.

If a|b and b 6= 0 then |a| |b|.

If a|b and a|c then a|bx + cy x, y Z.

Sandeep Kumar (SBSC, DU)

Introduction

4 / 10

Greatest Common Divisor, GCD

Def: If a, b Z the the greatest common divisor of a and b, denoted as
gcd(a, b) or (a, b) is d Z, such that:
1

d|a and d|b.

If for any c Z, c|a, c|b = c|d (equivalently c d).

Note: (a, b) = (a, b) = (a, b) = (a, b).

Bezouts Lemma: Given a, b Z(not both equal to zero), x, y Z,
such that:
gcd(a, b) = ax + by .
Two integers a and b are relatively prime iff gcd(a, b) = 1.

Sandeep Kumar (SBSC, DU)

Introduction

5 / 10

Properties of GCD:

If gcd(a, b) = d then gcd(a/d, b/d) = 1.

If a|b and b|c with gcd(a, b) = 1, then ab|c.
Euclids Lemma: If a|bc and gcd(a, b) = 1 then a|c.
If gcd(a, b) = 1 then gcd(ac, b) = gcd(c, b).
If gcd(a, b) = d then we can write a = dr , b = ds, where
gcd(r , s) = 1.

Sandeep Kumar (SBSC, DU)

Introduction

6 / 10

Least Common Multiple:

Def: If a, b Z the the least common ultiple of a and b, denoted as [a, b]

is l Z, such that:
1

a|l and b|l.

If for any c Z, a|c, b|c = l|c (equivalently l c).

Example: [12, 16] = 48.

Sandeep Kumar (SBSC, DU)

Introduction

7 / 10

Division Algorithm:

If a and b are integers with b 6= 0 then there exist unique integers q, r

such that:
a = bq + r , where 0 r |b|.

Result: If a = bq + r then gcd(a, b) = gcd(b, r ).

While finding the gcd of two integers (not both 0), we can list all the
common divisors and pick the greatest one, but if a and b are very large
integers, the process is very much time consuming.
Here we can use the above result.

Sandeep Kumar (SBSC, DU)

Introduction

8 / 10

Euclids Algorithm
Suppose we have two positive integers a and b. Apply Division Algorithm
to get the sequence of ri0 s as:
a = bq1 + r1
0 r1 < b
b = r1 q2 + r2
0 r2 < r1
r1 = r2 q3 + r3
0 r3 < r2
..
.
rn2 = rn1 qn + rn
rn1 = rn qn+1 + rn+1

0 rn < rn1
0 rn+1 < rn

Suppose rn+1 = 0, Then using Result from last slide we have:

gcd(a, b) = gcd(b, r1 ) = gcd(r1 , r2 ) = ..... = gcd(rn2 , rn1 ) = gcd(rn1 , rn ) = rn
Find gcd(26, 66).

Sandeep Kumar (SBSC, DU)

Introduction

9 / 10

Example:
For example let a = 26, b = 66. Then:
66 = 26 2 + 14
26 = 14 1 + 12
14 = 12 1 + 2
12 = 2 6 + 0
The last non zero remainder in the above process is 2, so gcd(26, 66) = 2.
Furhter more by goving backward we can write the gcd as linear
combinatino of 26 and 66.
2 = 14 12 1
= 14 (26 14 1) 1
= 14 2 26 1
= (66 26 2) 2 26 1
= 66 2 26 5
Sandeep Kumar (SBSC, DU)

Introduction

10 / 10