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3.3: Divisibility rules revisited

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    7628
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    Thinking out Loud

    Can any integer \(n\) be written as a sum of distinct powers of \(2\)?

    Example \(\PageIndex{1}\):

    Express \(2019\) as a sum of distinct powers of \(2\)?

    Note that, \(10 \equiv 1 ( mod \,\,3), 10 \equiv 1 ( mod\, 9),\) and \(10 \equiv (-1)( mod \,\,11),\).

    Let \(x \in \mathbb{Z_+}\).

    Then \[ x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0,\]

    which implies

    \[x= 10( d_n10^{n-1} +d_{n-1}10^{n-2}+ \cdots+ d_2 10+d_1)+d_0.\]

    Thus we can express \(x\) as \(10 a+b\), where \(b=d_0\) is the ones digit of \(x\), and \(a= d_n10^{n-1} +d_{n-1}10^{n-2}+ \cdots+ d_2 10+d_1\).

    Divisibility by \(2=2^1:\)

    Let \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\in \mathbb{Z_+}\), then \(2 \mid x\) iff \(2 \mid d_0\). In other words, \(2\) divides an integer iff the ones digit of the integer is either \(0, 2, 4, 6,\) or \( 8\). That is. \(x \equiv 0 (mod \,2) \) iff \(d_0 \equiv 0 (mod \,2)\).

    Proof:

    Since \( 10 \equiv 0 (mod \,2) \) and \(x=10 a+b\), \(x \equiv 0 (mod \,2) \) iff \(d_0 \equiv 0 (mod \,2)\).\(\Box\)

    Divisibility by \(5:\)

    Let \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\in \mathbb{Z_+}\), then \(5 \mid x\) iff \(5 \mid d_0\). In other words, \(5\) divides an integer iff the ones digit of the integer is either \(0,\) or \( 5\).

    That is. \(x \equiv 0 (mod \,\,5) \) iff \(d_0 \equiv 0 (mod \,\,5)\).

    Proof:

    Since \( 10 \equiv 0 (mod \,5) \) and \(x=10 a+b\), \(x \equiv 0 (mod \,5) \) iff \(d_0 \equiv 0 (mod \,5)\).\(\Box\)

    Divisibility by \(10:\)

    Let \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\in \mathbb{Z_+}\), then \(10 \mid x\) iff \(10 \mid d_0\). In other words, \(10\) divides an integer iff the ones digit of the integer is \(0,\).

    That is. \(x \equiv 0 (mod \,10) \) iff \(d_0 \equiv 0 (mod \,10)\).

    Proof:

    Since \( 10 \equiv 0 (mod \,10) \) and \(x=10 a+b\), \(x \equiv 0 (mod \,10) \) iff \(d_0 \equiv 0 (mod \,10)\).\(\Box\)

    Divisibility by \(4=2^2:\)

    Let \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\in \mathbb{Z_+}\), then \(4 \mid x\) iff \( 4 \mid d_1d_0\). That is. \(x \equiv 0 (mod \,4) \) iff \(d_1d_0 \equiv 0 (mod \,4)\).

    Proof:

    Let \(x\) be an integer. Then

    \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\), which implies

    \(x= 100( d_n10^{n-2} +d_{n-1}10^{n-3}+ \cdots+ d_2)+ 10d_1+d_0=100( d_n10^{n-2} +d_{n-1}10^{n-3}+ \cdots+ d_2)+ d_1d_0\).

    Since \( 100 \equiv 0 (mod \,4)\), \(x=100 a+ d_1d_0\), \(x \equiv 0 (mod \,4) \) iff \(d_1d_0 \equiv 0 (mod \,4)\).\(\Box\)

    Divisibility by \(8=2^3:\)

    Let \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\in \mathbb{Z_+}\), then \(8 \mid x\) iff \( 8 \mid d_2d_1d_0\). That is. \(x \equiv 0 (mod \,8) \) iff \(d_2d_1d_0 \equiv 0 (mod \,8)\).

    Proof:

    Let \(x\) be an integer. Then

    \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\), which implies

    \(x= 10^3( d_n10^{n-3} +d_{n-1}10^{n-4}+ \cdots+ d_3)+ 100d_2+10d_1+d_0=10^3( d_n10^{n-3} +d_{n-1}10^{n-4}+ \cdots+ d_3)+ d_2d_1d_0\).

    Since \( 1000 \equiv 0 (mod \,8)\), \(x=1000 a+ d_2d_1d_0\), \(x \equiv 0 (mod \,8) \) iff \(d_2d_1d_0 \equiv 0 (mod \,8)\).\(\Box\)

    A similar argument can be made for divisibility by \(2^n\), for any positive integer \(n\). The following results follows from the fact that,

    \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0 = d_n(10^n-1) +d_{n-1}(10^{n-1}-1)+ \cdots+ d_2 (10^2-1)+d_1(10^1-1)+ (d_n+d_{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_1+ d_0)\).

    Divisibility by \(3:\)

    Let \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\in \mathbb{Z_+}\), then \(3 \mid x\) iff \(3\) divides sum of its digits.

    Proof:

    Let \(x\) be an integer. Then

    \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\), which implies \(x= d_n(10^n-1) +d_{n-1}(10^{n-1}-1)+ \cdots+ d_2 (10^2-1)+d_1(10^1-1)+ (d_n+d_{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_1+ d_0)\).

    Hence, \(x (mod \,3) \equiv d_n(10^n-1) +d_{n-1}(10^{n-1}-1)+ \cdots+ d_2 (10^2-1)+d_1(10^1-1)) (mod \,3)+ (d_n+d_{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_1+ d_0) (mod \,3).\)  Notice that \((10^n-1) \equiv 0 (mod \, 3), \) for all positive integer \(n.\)

    Therefore, \(x (mod \,3) \equiv (d_n+d_{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_1+ d_0) (mod \,3).\)

     Thus, \(3 \mid x\) iff \(3\) divides sum of its digits.

     

    Divisibility by \(9=3^2:\)

    Let \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\in \mathbb{Z_+}\), then \(9 \mid x\) iff \(9\) divides sum of its digits.

    Proof:

    Let \(x\) be an integer. Then

    \( x= d_n10^n +d_{n-1}10^{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_2 10^2+d_110^1+d_0\), which implies \(x= d_n(10^n-1) +d_{n-1}(10^{n-1}-1)+ \cdots+ d_2 (10^2-1)+d_1(10^1-1)+ (d_n+d_{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_1+ d_0)\).

    Hence, \(x (mod \,9) \equiv d_n(10^n-1) +d_{n-1}(10^{n-1}-1)+ \cdots+ d_2 (10^2-1)+d_1(10^1-1)) (mod \,9)+ (d_n+d_{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_1+ d_0) (mod \,9).\)  Notice that \((10^n-1) \equiv 0 (mod \, 9), \) for all positive integer \(n.\)

    Therefore, \(x (mod \,9) \equiv (d_n+d_{n-1}+ \cdots+ d_1+ d_0) (mod \,9).\)

     Thus, \(9 \mid x\) iff \(9\) divides sum of its digits.

    Divisibility by \(7:\)

    \(7 \mid x\) iff \(7\) divides the absolute difference between \(a-2b\), where \(x=10 a+b\), and, \(b=d_0\) is the ones digit of \(x\) and \(a= d_n10^{n-1} +d_{n-1}10^{n-2}+ \cdots+ d_2 10+d_1\).

    Proof:

    Divisibility by \(11:\)

    \(11 \mid x\) iff \(11\) divides the absolute difference between alternate sum.

    Proof:


    This page titled 3.3: Divisibility rules revisited is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Pamini Thangarajah.

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