
# 3.5: Theorems of Fermat, Euler, and Wilson

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In this section we present three applications of congruences. The first theorem is Wilson’s theorem which states that $$(p-1)!+1$$ is divisible by $$p$$, for $$p$$ prime. Next, we present Fermat’s theorem, also known as Fermat’s little theorem which states that $$a^p$$ and $$a$$ have the same remainders when divided by $$p$$ where $$p \nmid a$$. Finally we present Euler’s theorem which is a generalization of Fermat’s theorem and it states that for any positive integer $$m$$ that is relatively prime to an integer $$a$$,

$a^{\phi(m)}\equiv 1(mod \ m)$

where $$\phi$$ is Euler’s $$\phi$$-function. We start by proving a theorem about the inverse of integers modulo primes.

Theorem

Let $$p$$ be a prime. A positive integer $$m$$ is its own inverse modulo $$p$$ if and only if $$p$$ divides $$m+1$$ or $$p$$ divides $$m-1$$.

Suppose that $$m$$ is its own inverse. Thus $m.m\equiv 1(mod \ p).$ Hence $$p\mid m^2-1$$. As a result,

$p\mid (m-1) \mbox{or} \ \ p\mid (m+1).$ We get that $$m\equiv 1(mod\ p)$$ or $$m\equiv -1 (mod \ p)$$.

Conversely, suppose that

$m\equiv 1(mod\ p) \mbox{or} \ \ m\equiv -1 (mod \ p).$

Thus

$m^2\equiv 1(mod \ p).$

Wilson’s Theorem

If $$p$$ is a prime number, then $$p$$ divides $$(p-1)!+1$$.

When $$p=2$$, the congruence holds. Now let $$p>2$$. Using Theorem 26, we see that for each $$1\leq m\leq p$$, there is an inverse $$1\leq \bar{m}\leq p$$ such that $$m\bar{m}\equiv 1(mod \ p)$$. Thus by Theorem 28, we see that the only two integers that have their own inverses are $$1$$ and $$p-1$$. Hence after coupling the integers from 2 to $$p-2$$ each with its inverse, we get $2.3.....(p-2)\equiv 1(mod \ p).$ Thus we get $1.2.3.....(p-2)(p-1)\equiv (p-1)(mod \ p)$ As a result, we have $$(p-1)!\equiv -1(mod \ p)$$.

Note also that the converse of Wilson’s theorem also holds. The converse tells us whether an integer is prime or not.

If $$m$$ is a positive integer with $$m\geq 2$$ such that $(m-1)!+1\equiv 0 \ (mod \ m)$ then $$m$$ is prime.

Suppose that $$m$$ has a proper divisor $$c_1$$ and that $(m-1)!+1\equiv 0(mod \ m).$ That is $$m=c_1c_2$$ where $$1<c_1<m$$ and $$1<c_2<m$$. Thus $$c_1$$ is a divisor of $$(m-1)!$$. Also, since $m\mid ((m-1)!+1),$ we get $c_1\mid ((m-1)!+1).$ As a result, by Theorem 4, we get that $c_1\mid ((m-1)!+1-(m-1)!),$ which gives that $$c_1\mid 1$$. This is a contradiction and hence $$m$$ is prime.

We now present Fermat’s Theorem or what is also known as Fermat’s Little Theorem. It states that the remainder of $$a^{p-1}$$ when divided by a prime $$p$$ that doesn’t divide $$a$$ is 1. We then state Euler’s theorem which states that the remainder of $$a^{\phi(m)}$$ when divided by a positive integer $$m$$ that is relatively prime to $$a$$ is 1. We prove Euler’s Theorem only because Fermat’s Theorem is nothing but a special case of Euler’s Theorem. This is due to the fact that for a prime number $$p$$, $$\phi(p)=p-1$$.

Euler’s Theorem

If $$m$$ is a positive integer and $$a$$ is an integer such that $$(a,m)=1$$, then $a^{\phi(m)}\equiv 1(mod \ m)$

Note that $$3^4=81 \equiv 1(mod \ 5)$$. Also, $$2^{\phi(9)}=2^6=64\equiv 1(mod \ 9)$$.

We now present the proof of Euler’s theorem.

Proof

Let $$k_1,k_2,...,k_{\phi(m)}$$ be a reduced residue system modulo $$m$$. By Theorem 25, the set $\{ak_1,ak_2,...,ak_{\phi(m)}\}$ also forms a reduced residue system modulo $$m$$. Thus

$ak_1ak_2...ak_{\phi(m)}=a^{\phi(m)}k_1k_2...k_{\phi(m)}\equiv k_1k_2...k_{\phi(m)}(mod \ m).$

Now since $$(k_i,m)=1$$ for all $$1\leq i\leq \phi(m)$$, we have $$(k_1k_2...k_{\phi(m)},m)=1$$. Hence by Theorem 22 we can cancel the product of $$k$$’s on both sides and we get

$a^{\phi(m)}\equiv 1(mod \ m).$

An immediate consequence of Euler’s Theorem is:

Fermat’s Theorem

If p is a prime and $$a$$ is a positive integer with $$p\nmid a$$, then $a^{p-1}\equiv 1(mod\ p).$

We now present a couple of theorems that are direct consequences of Fermat’s theorem. The first states Fermat’s theorem in a different way. It says that the remainder of $$a^{p}$$ when divided by $$p$$ is the same as the remainder of $$a$$ when divided by $$p$$. The other theorem determines the inverse of an integer $$a$$ modulo $$p$$ where $$p\nmid a$$.

If $$p$$ is a prime number and $$a$$ is a positive integer, then $$a^p\equiv a(mod \ p)$$.

If $$p\nmid a$$, by Fermat’s theorem we know that $a^{p-1}\equiv 1(mod \ p).$ Thus, we get $a^{p}\equiv a(mod \ p).$ Now if $$p\mid a$$, we have

$a^p\equiv a\equiv 0 (mod \ p).$

If $$p$$ is a prime number and $$a$$ is an integer such that $$p\nmid a$$, then $$a^{p-2}$$ is the inverse of a modulo $$p$$.

If $$p\nmid a$$, then Fermat’s theorem says that $a^{p-1}\equiv 1(mod\ p).$ Hence $a^{p-2}a\equiv 1(mod\ p).$ As a result, $$a^{p-2}$$ is the inverse of $$a$$ modulo $$p$$.

Exercises

1. Show that 10!+1 is divisible by 11.

2. What is the remainder when 5!25! is divided by 31?

3. What is the remainder when $$5^{100}$$ is divided by 7?

4. Show that if $$p$$ is an odd prime, then $$2(p-3)!\equiv -1(mod \ p)$$.

5. Find a reduced residue system modulo $$2^m$$, where $$m$$ is a positive integer.

6. Show that if $$a_1,a_2,...,a_{\phi(m)}$$ is a reduced residue system modulo $$m$$, where $$m$$ is a positive integer with $$m\neq 2$$, then $$a_1+a_2+...+a_{\phi(m)}\equiv 0 (mod \ m)$$.

7. Show that if $$a$$ is an integer such that $$a$$ is not divisible by 3 or such that $$a$$ is divisible by 9, then $$a^7\equiv a (mod \ 63)$$.

### Contributors

• Dr. Wissam Raji, Ph.D., of the American University in Beirut. His work was selected by the Saylor Foundation’s Open Textbook Challenge for public release under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.